Parts of me,
My history,
Strewn about in
Different places,
Unrecognized by
Anyone else,
Fragments of a
Bygone time,
Vivid in my mind only.
A heavy sigh,
How it all passes.
A blossom
Doesn’t care about
Anything other than
Being a flower.
Beautiful.
Someone comes
Along and deems it
Inadequate,
Frightening,
Unimportant,
Strangles it.
The plant lies
Dormant,
Anticipating
Another day.
Constant, insistent perseverance
In the face of crushing odds,
Head down in defiant opposition to
Forces that contort dreams.
One laborious step after another,
Unfailing determination and
Purity of purpose align.
Things predestined appear.
I offer my heart, my vision, my passion.
The inside of my being exposed,
Vulnerable, yearning for validation, a
Scrap of hope, shred of approval, an
Outstretched helping hand. Please
See who I am, potential, promise.
Intangibles fall unrecognized
Before timorous eyes.
Going back to the place
Where he grew up and
Finding that it is not
The same as he remembers,
Dreams of recapturing his
Youth dashed in an instant of
Realization that things can
Never be as they were,
No matter how much he
Wishes them to be.
What if they don’t like what I offer?
Worse yet, what if they don’t like me?
What will I do then?
What will I do next?
If I just think about it a little longer
I’m sure I’ll find the solution or
Deflate like an errant souffle.
What will I do then?
I know. I’ll keep obsessing
Until I’m unable to move.
The placid life of a statue.
That’s what I’ll do.
Effortlessly flows the line onto
Paper, tracing its own trajectory,
Following its own muse,
Imbuing its own energy and inspiration
On fortunate space. Pensive,
Thoughtful, thoughtless,
Eclipsed by passion,
Joyful abandon manifest.
Instinctive, automatic,
A whirl of ecstasy.
Little by little, one by one,
He lost most of his friends, family,
Acquaintances, associates, and
Countless others who called him
Friend, son, brother, colleague,
Companion, kindred spirit.
The rain fell in a grey monotone.
He stared out the window at the
Heavy pines. Opening the sash,
He took in the fresh, wild, charged
Atmosphere that filled his lungs
And mingled with his joy.
Mile after mile of
Abject gloom,
Not a glimpse of
Sunshine.
They keep walking,
Knowing they will
One day arrive.
