Change of Season

Change –
he recognized it
by the gray dismal sky
and
the chill in the air.
But
more than this,
he sensed it –
in the frostiness of her words
and
in her icy cold glances –
this
death of a season

As Though it Were Yesterday

Eight years have passed and
I still remember the pain in
Your eyes that June afternoon
As though it were yesterday.

I wanted to reach out to touch
You – hold you – brush the
Tears from your eyes.
Instead, I sat – motionless –
Silent – fearing your rejection.

Every so often, you
Invade my thoughts –
Forcing me to wonder
How different our lives
Might have been if I had.

The Gift of Reason

Sadly, it seemed
Everything she had accepted as truth
Could no longer sustain her. Shattered, her life lay in
Ruins. If only she had had
Enough wisdom to
Think before opening her mouth… for
She now knew there were those things better left unsaid

Ultimately

A thought…

Playing itself
out in his mind…
Like a small ball
continually bounced
back and forth.

He tired to erase it…

But it seemed the harder he tried,
the stronger the thought became.

It had exhausted him for days…
Rendered him
sleepless…Left him
with a an ache
in the pit of his stomach.

Why was it that this
one action
was so difficult?
He was a grown man…
Had seen and done much
during the course of
his life.

He swallowed hard…

Took a deep breath…

Now
making a conscious effort
to allow himself to
contemplate the thought…

To ponder the words…

To slowly say them
out loud…

“I’m sorry.”

He shuddered at the sound of his own voice
as the words escaped from his lips…
Ultimately deciding his pride
far more important.

Crosses

Here, beneath summer showers,
Where lilac's scent and thoughts
Hang heavy, he gathers memories
Of the not so distant past –

Faces, places, voices
He wishes he had long
Ago forgotten.

Yet, they drone on –
Like the beat of a drummer
In a marching band,
Continually tapping the same
Monotonous rhythm with each
Step he takes.

He ponders choices –
Good, bad, indifferent –
They were his to make.

But, these thoughts –
These memories that
Plague him, are what
Affect him most –

For often he feels –
In some strange, twisted
Way – they have chosen him –
Now, his cross to carry.

Apology Accepted

One single tear
spilled
from the corner
of his eye.

She smiled
in acceptance of this –
his apology.

If

If
Only there were
Another opportunity…
Another chance…
To say those things
Left unsaid…
Perhaps it would
Ease the pain…
Lessen the guilt…
If Only

Take Notice

Daylight slowly fades from the window
And leaves the room in darkness…
Bringing with it a sense of despair.

Much like hope when it vanishes from a soul,
Leaving it to question…to wonder exactly
How and when life became so muddled.

But it is there the next morning, upon
Opening your eyes and witnessing the sun
Out on the horizon…

Another opportunity…

Another possibility…

- We need only to take notice -

Unsolicited Thoughts

- An unsolicited thought -
- Continually presenting itself -
- Entering her mind without warning -
Played out like a film
Watched over and over again.

The more she tries to
Eliminate it,
The more it seems to present itself -
The sting like that of a bandage
Torn off in one quick stroke.

In time,
Its persistence will liquefy,
Much as the bile that incessantly burns her throat -
The severity slowly evolving into
A distant memory –

Safe Keeping

With infant child at her breast
She softly whispers a lullaby -
The room clothed in
Darkness, save for a
Single bar of moonlight
That spills through the
Window.
The hope of the future is
Momentarily held within
Protective arms –
In this gift
Of a child -
Who has declared
His love unconditionally

Orchid

Only she is aware of its particular significance in her life as she carefully
Reaches out to hold it between her two hands. The intense beauty forever
Captures her attention and never fails to captivate
Her heart. With hesitant fingers, she caresses it gently, marveling at its
Intricate petals, surprisingly strong to the touch, for at first glance, they appear
Delicate... this exquisite flower… a subtle expression of the woman she strives to be.

The Eye of the Beholder

Hands wrapped around freshly picked dandelions, she comes skipping to where I stand.
Mommy, why are there so many of these pretty flowers growing in the grass? She asks.
Looking at her sweet face, I smile and draw her to me.
What many consider worthless weeds, possess beauty, in the eyes of a child.

Photographs

He sits on the sofa,
flipping through pages
of a family album.

A sad smile crosses his face
as he remembers the past.

Summer vacations,
birthday parties,
children’s recitals
and graduations.
Anniversary dinners,
barbeques
and Christmases past.

He sighs deeply,
longing for days gone by –
Not realizing
that they are only
fragments of life
made into perfection

– Moments frozen in time –
Captured only in photographs.

Whisper Soft Evenings

Soft as
a whisper you
reach for me in the night,
gently beckoning me into
your arms

Surrender

Indecision clouds the mind
much as the veil of fog
that gently obscures the early morning moon.
Reminiscent of moments
in which resolve takes on an air of conviction,
yet uncertainty slowly drifts in.
It is said that nothing is permanent in life except change,
and I am witness to that
as I watch the dark sky surrender to the sun.
Although still masked in fog,
it carries forth the prospect of opportunity.