The Poetry Marathon

The End

How will you see my life at the end
Will you see me as helpful and kind
As one on whom you knew you’d depend
Or someone erased from your mind
Will you think of me and remember some purpose
Some time that I helped you through Hell
Or will you recall some moment of weakness
I may not have handled that well

Will you stop to think of moments in sunshine
Or times when the storm clouds appeared
Will laughter and joy be a resounding headline
Or the thought of me bring you a tear
I know that I’ve tried to conquer each challenge
And bring my world closer to light
But I am a realist and know that great damage
Can breed if I wasn’t quite right

When you think of me, I hope it is fondly
But if not, I am sorry and sigh
For if there’s one thing I know that is certain
It is far too late at goodbye
For once at the end, there is no going backwards
No do-overs, fixes or mends
Yet, I remain hopeful my final day beckons
Remembered by all of my friends

Dawning Wishes

The sunlight peeks through the clearing
Of the trees that align with the road
The morning ahead, at last, nearing
With all of its greatness bestowed
The hopes and the dreams of tomorrow
Now present to start on their way
For time is a moment we borrow
At the start of every new day

The dawn is but a soft mixture
A blending of darkness and light
The dim giving way to the tincture
Of yellows and oranges and white
And in all those colors, a promise
An effort to give life one’s all
For the dawning renews with such purpose
That one must forge on with its call

Each journey in life, a beginning
A dawning of each day anew
A balance of losing and winning
Made wholly and uniquely you
And now, here you are at the dawning
The light smiling down through the trees
Will today be your day to slay demons
Or carry on with incredible ease

The Forecast

Turbulent seas washing over the shore
Day after day, the waves crashing more
So much the uncertain, so much the unplanned
The currents washed quickly, unable to stand
Fall down to your knees, then stand up once more
To just lose your footing and crash to the shore
And thus was the story, the hurricane of life
Where moments of joy seemed lost in the strife

I sat and I questioned if peace could be found
As the waves crashed time and again
The chaos of life, a deafening sound
A balance of frenetic and sane
Each day came the crashing of lightning to the ground
With thunder claps close to the shore
And yet through the questions and storms all around
I wondered in life could be more

Then, one fateful day, the seas felt a calm
The skies became blue and the sunlight appeared
My heart felt the warmth of a soft healing balm
A respite from the storms o’er the years
I forged a path forward with pain in rear view
Grateful for the peace, at long last
My reward through the struggle in this life was you
And you’re more than I could have forecast

The Dark Abandon

He lives alone in the dark abandon
Dim lights and trees surround
An empty shell of a heart in tandem
With grief and loss abound
He cries at night, although none can hear him
No moon, no stars, no sky
A mute, alone, an unwitting victim
Of a long, painful goodbye

He stares outside in the dark abandon
The fog obscures his view
The mist around flooding in to dampen
Every memory he knew
Alone, he longs for a different answer
An alternative path to trudge
But here it is, a terminal cancer
To be the Devil’s judge

He rests alone in the dark abandon
And prays his soul to keep
Yearning for some way the Lord will stand in
Bringing his soul to sleep
One day, there will be a light before him
As the cherubs welcome him home
But now, this test in the dark abandon
Prevents his sweet shalom

I still recall the email
An invitation of a lifetime
A chance to meet a top tier publisher
Her people reached out to me
I felt instant elation and sorrow
I had no way of getting to the meeting
It was a time before ride-sharing services
And no one from my area was going
I had to admit it to myself that it was not happening
I had to tell them thanks, but no

The day of the meeting, my heart sank
I so wanted to be there – to have had the opportunity to say yes
To have gone
But hours after that meeting had happened,
I met my now husband online
Had I gone to the meeting, I likely would not have met him
Looking back now, as much as that publisher meeting meant
I now realize that destiny had other plans
I would change the life I have now for nothing in this world
Even top tier publishers

At the diner, memories return
Far too many there to name
From childhood antics to new love
To orders staking claim
In some ways ’tis full circle
My life here with the food
Both then and now with toddlers
Just learning to be good

When I was young, slow service
Meant you beat forks on the table
And now my daughter emulates
The best that she is able
While screaming for her order
Of burger, fries and milk
She then says “please” so sweetly
Her soft words as smooth as silk

To take it even further
In my diner reverie
I once quizzed my love on artists
Met with heart-pained tragedy
And in that time, we bonded
As our history has shown
There are so many memories
Some the best I’ve ever known

Sometimes, it’s not about the food
But time spent with loved ones near
That makes the diner special
For everyone, year after year
The memories made last far beyond
Whate’er was served that day
The time spent there, forever fond
Surpassing each entree

There are many angels in our lives
Some family, some friends
Those who take care of us through time
On whom we can depend
The ones that never ask a thing
And want nothing in return
Those that hold us at our worst
Our rocks at every turn

Those so giving in their need
That they only ask our best
Are life’s most precious dears, indeed
True cuts above the rest
We strive to be just like them
In our actions and our words
They are the unsung heroes
Altruistic thunderbirds

They come in all shapes and sizes
Hail from every walk of life
To grace us with their presence
When our lives are met with strife
They’re the ones who care about us
Where should the roles be reversed
We would emulate their nature
In the way they have rehearsed

I’d love to buy an island
Some place to call my own
Where I could simply be myself
And would be left alone
No phones, no neighbors, no distress
Nothing but peace and calm
Where ocean waves would kiss my toes
As some sweet healing balm

I’m tired of big city life
I’d love to catch a wave
There’s too much drama in the world
The news is just too grave
If I could buy an island
I’d gladly call it home
I’d live my days forever
Some place I’m free to roam

I doubt I would be lonely
I’d love to catch some ZZZZ’s
While relaxing in my own abode
Surrounded by blue seas
For now, this is a silly dream
But dream it now, I must
For its better than filling my mind
With angst, pain and disgust

The sunflower dirt has turned to dust
The blue skies and wispy clouds are all we’ve known for months
Just a foot of rain in half a year
And next to none in an eternity
Occasional five minute sprinkles tease then
Serve to bake our region more
Dangerous temperatures pose an additional threat
It is becoming scary
I hope we don’t catch up with a hurricane at our door
I wish I had a crystal ball to look into the future
But there is no way to see
Rain has been promised in the past
To no avail
I guess only God knows when
It will finally bring us a gully washer

In sorrow, I watch you walk away through no fault of your own. You were asked to leave. I don’t know why and I probably never will. You came here for just one reason. She was just nine months old when you arrived. Now three years old, nearly four, she will not understand and I cannot explain it because I do not understand it either. But, alas, it is happening and we will all miss you, while trying to embrace the changes destined to come sooner rather than later. Parting is such sweet sorrow, they say, but this one simply hurts. Maybe, one day, we will all be together again. Only time will tell this. Until then, we will cling to the memories. Those are all we will have left.

Goodbye is tricky
It is awkward and painful
Our loss is your gain