The Poetry Marathon

O tiger, the great tiger

A fire and a flash

Where are the trees

And where is the forest

For within the stars I’ve lost my way

Can you see the ghosts that haunt us?

Can you feel them as they pass us by?

Praise those that exclaim their fears

They are the purest of us all

There is always time

Do not give in so quickly

Believe in your choice

Shimmering sunlight creeps over my eyes

A strong smell of coffee nudges me awake

She hands me a smooth ceramic mug

Her gentle smile waking me up more than any cup of coffee ever could

I thank her and feel the bed dip as she sits next to me

She is pure light

Steam from the mug heats my face as I take my first sip

The warmth of the coffee spreads from my torso down to my fingers and toes

We sit there in loving silence, as the world moves on around us

For this moment is ours and ours alone

As she has done for so many years, she watches from the office window as each umbrella passes on the street below. She plays a game with herself, guessing the lives of each passerby

3:58

Solid black

Boring. A businessman who pretends to be well-organized but can barely keep himself together. He’s walking to a coffee shop for a black coffee. He will brag about it later to his female coworkers and none of them will be impressed

4:22

Yellow polka dots

Bubbly. A woman in her thirties. Excited for each new day. Hides her insecurities beneath a mask of smiles. She’s on her way to an interview for an entry-level marketing position. She hopes her ten years of experience are enough

4:30

Blue plaid

Down-to-earth. A college-aged man. He’s bright but was coddled by his family. He’s on his way to class in ill-fitting clothes. His mother will call in a few days to remind him to wash his sheets

4:46

Red and white floral

Lavish. A middle-aged-woman who’s coming home after work. She’s been career-driven for her whole life, but her husband still expects her to cook dinner for him. Once home, she will make a simple meal in silence while her husband watches TV

5:00

There are many more umbrellas to choose from, but the day is finally done. She puts on her raincoat and heads home

It would take too long to write to all of you

Everyone I left behind as I was forced to move forward

With each new place and each new life I met more of you

I like to think that each of our friendships helped us grow in some way

That we brought something good into each other’s lives

To all of you, whether it was only a few months or even a few years

Thank you

Your friendship means more than the world to me

Two little birds rested on their perch

The first one asked, “Who do we answer to?

Do we answer to the heavens, to the sun and moon above?

To the stars and the inky blackness of the night that envelopes us in cooling comfort

To the clouds and the wind that rush past us as we soar across the world”

And the heavens and the earth smiled

Proud of their creation

The second responded,

“What about the earth? Do we answer to her?

The soft ground beneath our feet, calling us to eat

The rushing oceans and rivers, quenching our thirst

And the trees that grow from her, giving us homes and a place to rest our weary wings

She provides us with so much

Why shouldn’t we answer to her?”

The first looked down at the earth below, stumped

And the heavens and the earth smiled

Proud of their creation

Together they sat. Perched, pondering, children of both heaven and earth

“It is neither,” the first said. “It is both,” said the second

After much deliberation, they said together

“We answer to the other birds who live with us in the heavens and on the earth

Those birds we fly with in the sky, eat with on the ground, nest with in the trees

We answer to them all”

And the heavens and the earth smiled

Proud of their creation

Even the best recipes change over time

That apple pie Great Aunt Bernie brings every year?

She picks it up from the nearby corner store, puts it in a pie tin, and takes all the credit

But no one ever seems to mind, it gets eaten anyway

What about the green bean casserole that Grandpa makes? Oh yes, that nasty thing

Covered in so much cream of mushroom soup

He’s always so proud, so we each take a small scoop and hope for the best

And what about Cousin Mike? Well, he only brings himself

He’s uninterested in spending time with the family

Staying for the meal then leaving without a trace

One day this will change. Family will pass on, the young will grow up

One day, the goopy casserole and the corner store apple pie will be missing from the table

And one day, a new recipe will appear courtesy of Cousin Mike

In a dusty room I waited for their return 

Day in and day out

She was light and hope and love

Always kind and willing to listen

And she – well, she was strength and creation and determination

A stronghold when the light faded, pushing through the dark with optimism

Days, weeks, maybe months passed and I stayed in that dusty little room

I waited so patiently for even a glimpse of them

But they never came

That dusty room became my only companion

Slowly eating me up

Until one day after years of waiting

I stood up and stepped outside

And for the first time in years I saw them

The light from a friend’s smile

The hope of each new day

The love of those who missed me

The strength of leaving that little dusty room

The determination to never return

And the creation.

Ongoing and never ending