Knock knock. Who’s there?
Banana. Banana who?
Banana me. Banana you?
What? Who?
It’s me, your wife.
Why didn’t you say so, I wasn’t wearing my hearing aid.
Are you wearing it now?
No thanks, I’ll go later.
Uncomfortable silence, as usual.
To see the world again as a
Child does, full of wonder and
Possibility. Endless fascination and
Joy from the smallest thing and each
New discovery. Uncontained energy and
Excitement. Absence of pretense or
Guile, living in the moment.
Not us, say Mr. and Mrs. Beatdown.
He possessed all the money anyone could
Possibly need; a palatial house
Resembling a hotel; a personal line to the
Corridors of power. Unlimited influence.
Fear and admiration when he entered a room;
Hushed acknowledgments of his stature;
Shivers and discomfort at being put on the
List. Plastered smiles, attentive ears and
Nodding heads. Unlimited deference.
In the distance, the barely visible outline of
Security. Smiling, taunting, slipping through
His fingers. The world returns what it is
Offered. Lay awake wondering why the
Shadows don’t go away. Unlimited trepidation.
A couple of friends walk down a
Leaf-strewn path, thin sunlight
Just warming their steps. A man
Walks toward them and nods
As he gets closer, they nod back.
Conversation turns to events
Gone by. Abstract time and
Moments become heavier and
More valuable as life passes.
I’m glad you’re here.
Me too.
One day she decided to do
Something different and sing
Her own song. One day he decided
To do something different and
Write his own story.
The world smiled.
I meant it when I said I love myself and
A procession of people walked all over me.
I believed it when I said I love myself and
Was mired in strife and broken relationships.
I professed to love myself with conviction and
Was sentence to repeat what I knew.
Locked away inside, me.
Silence envelopes, inviting reflection.
Peaceful, placid, pleasurable.
Letting go of the insistent bustle and activity.
Quietly pondering nothing in particular.
Comforting thoughts drifting into sleep.
Assaulted by the burst of a motor.
What’s it like to live scared?
Certain that someone is always
At the back door, eager to harm.
To flinch at the slightest sound,
Assume offensive posture. Sleep with
One eye open. Throbbing memories.
What’s it like to live courageously?
Understand that risk is real,
Not pervasive. Embrace the
Kindness and compassion that is
Present at every turn. Welcome
Inner and outer peace.
A serious man was asked why he
Rarely laughed. He paused a
Moment and said he had once been
Deeply in love and his heart
Had been broken in such a way that
He could no longer laugh.
A smiling man was asked why he
Laughed all the time. He confided that
He had once loved someone who had
Left him at the altar and laughter
Healed the wound. He also mentioned
That the mother of the bride sneezed during
the ceremony, catapulting her wig into the aisle.
