Thursday, October 16, 2014

A Poetic Interlude: On Walking along the Sidewalk by yours truly

Dedicated to my father (January 21, 1957-October 16, 2008)


On Walking along the Sidewalk

 
A red leaf crossed my path today

It fluttered as it fell, although the day was still and gray

A bird, falling like rain

Plunging into the abyss—

But it was a leaf.

 

A car halted in front of me

—Where is the hospital?—

Just continue straight ahead, you’ll get to it

I promise

You’ll find it, in the end.

 

All roads are crossroads

We pass between stillness and motion

Destination and journey

Catcalls, quiet smiles, shouts of hello

We meet travelers we may never see again

And then we cross the road

 

Look both ways

If Death can see you he will stop for you

—Or so we think—

Walking along the edge, the brink

Of the River of Time

The curb of life, short

And solid as it may seem

Is only a path to where the sidewalk ends

 

The first leaf of fall

The final leaf of summer

Burns in its phoenix blaze of unending glory

I will not die, but turn to ash on the forest floor

Upon the bones of my ancestors,

The wombs of my progeny

 

And I will spring forth in the morning

When the light is new

And the air is still

The River shall halt for me

And I will drink from its immortal tears

And live—

 

But there is no time to spare
The clock ticks on and I am already late. 





 

No comments:

Post a Comment