Once upon a December yesterday
We shattered each other's hearts saying unsuitable things
I press my eyelids closed and try to remember
Standing by your side as the cardboard sea rose and fell
Butterflies danced in my soul, and I wanted to swim away in
your eyes
Violet, sapphire, sage, and all the colors of the broken
rainbow
You seemed to drink me in as I told you stories of my
strange life
The longing look you gave me made me feel bubbly
As if my spirit danced to the music of eternity
Before I met you, I always felt like a secondary character
in my own story
Suppressed memories from my traumatized younger years caused
my soul to splinter
I hurried in a flurry on a hedonistic flight
Chasing each new escapade as if resting was a crime
Endless adventure and celebration were my cross to bear
Playing the part of the lost soul to perfection
My addiction to adrenaline a drain on my psyche
My mind lacked cohesion at the moment in time when you found
me
Dumped near the milestone where I gave up hope for better
I was hanging on by a thread as slippery as spaghetti
Not much wanting to live but not quite ready to die
Like I was lost in a corn maze when the state fair left town
On entering a tunnel, I left hope by the roadside
I threw in the towel and gave up on the world
I swore that never again would I give my heart
But I melted in your hug because it felt like you meant it
I laughed when you ran through the sprinkler like a kid
We teased and joked as we lounged together
Shivering in the cold trailer, trying to stay warm
When you took the garter from my plus size thigh
I couldn’t believe that you could like what you saw
My insecurity was a thorn in your side
I understand now that you really tried
I sometimes still feel you when I’m driving alone
When I need someone to love
You’re the only one I think of
From now until eternity
I hope that you are thriving on the other side
For a while I was trying to guess what story you were alluding to — but as you went on it became clearer it was one of your own, in which, as you say, you felt like a secondary character. Interesting way to interpret the prompt. And the poem is powerfully moving as it takes through details and moods.
ReplyDeleteGah! The typos one sees in the split second after hitting Publish!
ReplyDelete*takes us through
'Not much wanting to live but not quite ready to die' strikes a chord. This is sad, and beautiful and a fine tribute to someone who is forever mourned.
ReplyDeleteLove is the straighter and depth charge which measures differently our dark ways and days. Various persons fulfill the role but love is the agent. It does make for interesting poetry!
ReplyDeleteSo many emotional lines i like.. especially "Standing by your side as the cardboard sea rose and fell" and "Before I met you, I always felt like a secondary character in my own story"....
ReplyDeleteSometimes I do not find the proper words for a com(pli)ment. Be sure I read this twice, and I shall come back to read it again.
ReplyDeleteSo moving, especially when one reads this poem of remembering is to one on the other side. I know that feeling.
ReplyDeleteEnjoyed this..To be loved like this in a life is good fortune.Something that can sustain you even though the person has passed. The garter on the super plus size thigh gave me a giggle
ReplyDeleteThe loss is heartbreaking. But it is good that the speaker can hold on to the good memories. I know memories aren't enough to live on, but they surely help.
ReplyDeletea powerful personal moment
ReplyDeleteThere is sadness and familiarity with this as I've known much of what you're alluding to here.
ReplyDelete