childhood ghosts
haunt dusty dirt road
footprints gone
laughter gone
the brother and two sisters
grown and gone away
©️2023 jai
shadorma
Ghosts
21
Tag Archives: poems about loss
Rivers
In her life, she has crossed many rivers. Some she swam with sure, steady strokes; Some she walked over on burning bridges; Some were so shallow, she easily waded. But fording the last one, she almost drowned, Failed to reach the other side. The swift, black waters dragged her down, Filled her lungs with life’s heartaches, Then cast her battered body back to shore; Left her choking, gasping, gagging, Down, but not defeated. Never defeated. Older and wiser, she bided her time, Waited at the river for the dire wolves to come drink, And built a raft from their strong bones, Made a cape from their warm, gray fur, Then floated across the cold choppy surface And stepped off safe and warm on the other side. She fashioned a home from the raft bones, Made a bed from the sleek fur cape, And she abided there in the high desert Content and happy as she grew old Until the time came for her to leave. For there was one more river yet to cross. ©2023 jai
Image by freddy urbina from Pixabay
Quondam Love
Sowing
never able to love and obey
always going her own way
damn fiddler to pay
every day
own
wielding machete, she hacked her way
all would-be white knights, she slayed
damn fiddler to pay
everyday
sown
now body worn out and hair of gray
feet planted in self-made clay
damn fiddler to pay
every day
lone
©2023 jai
trinquint
Image by James Deutschkron from Pixabay
Driftwood
home in my memories sets monochrome monochrome walls, roof, and floor—my home gray, the kitchen where my family prayed prayed at a table of weathered gray old photographs of yore yet sparkle gold gold that never tarnishes, nor grows old love cradled me in a warm, velvet glove glove worn by Mother, fashioned with love safe, was I, in that time, in that place place of antiquity—nevermore to feel safe childhood long gone, now rotting driftwood driftwood littering dead sands of childhood ©2023 jai mirrored sestet
Mistress Youth
youth is a fickle mistress
batting her clear green eyes
whispering in your ear...
I will stay with you forever
naively, you believe her
slug through the weeks
and months and years
thinking she will always be there
you live your days for others
instead of yourself and her, while
work and family obligations
mindlessly gorge on time perennial
time you should have spent loving
time you should have spent living
time you should have spent just being
time you should have spent with her
until one morning you wake up alone
she has left you for someone younger
leaving you old and worn out and used up
no good to yourself or anyone else
you see her out with her new love
and grow angry and resentful and hard
hating her for abandoning you
hating her for being happy without you
then, slowly you come to realize
that she did not leave you
you left her, long ago, standing alone
crying, ‘neath the glow of a fallow moon
©️2023 jai
Image by Victoria_Watercolor from Pixabay
Death Becomes Her
death becomes her... smoothed the seams that lined a tired face erased the hurt from eyes of green flint hushed the blush that colored angry cheeks purged the pain of a life, empty and spent death becomes her… hollow hope packed its overstuffed bags romantic ruminations stepped out the door borrowed tomorrows went on vacation and now sleeps serenely ‘neath sandy shores ©2023 jai
Image by Armando Orozco from Pixabay
What Was Lost
adrift on barren bitter boats two lonely souls pass in the night blind to the other’s face never knowing what was lost to the waves of the storm-tossed sea ©2023 jai
Image by Dimitris Vetsikas from Pixabay
Far From Home
a biting wind blows through wistful oaks winter settles in her heart far, far from home…happiness long gone she covers sorrow with words and art snow fills in the footprints of her youth she digs them out every spring happiness long gone…far, far from home to erstwhile days, she stubbornly clings her heart beats in sync with short, gray days as her thoughts flow back in time far, far from home…happiness long gone she dreams of childhood, ever sublime in this frigid land, ice fills her veins a red sludge of days passed by happiness long gone…far, far from home soon, she prays, soon let my spirit fly ©2023 jai ZaniLa Rhyme
Image by AnneBourbeau from Pixabay
Sweet Time
Listen now and heed me well To this tragic, timeless tale— We’ve all lost loved ones To distance and death And occasionally, to circumstance. Or just by believing there was time, Sweet, sweet time, always time, To visit and while away that time. Yes, all the time in the world, Static, breathless, endless time I believed— When I was young. Years pass by in the blink of an eye, And you notice one day How many have died. Gone, all gone, with time’s treacherous tides, Their scattered, ivory bones picked clean And carried away into death’s dawn. Time, sweet time, and them— Now gone. Time is not so sweet anymore, You long for the grim reaper To knock upon your door, And drag you away, You care not where, Over here, over there, anywhere. It makes no difference, Any place will do As long as it is far away From this world now without you— And you and you and you. Far too many yous Have stepped beyond the veil. And you contemplate, Anticipate— Do they frolic upon some sandy shore, No aches, no pains, No worries anymore? Is there a chair saved just for you At the table where they meet? All say a prayer upon that beach, Good bread, good meat, Good God, let’s eat. Teeth young and sharp, Do they tear into food? And lusty, not rusty, Into each other too? And be not at the mercy Of fickle, tricky time, For in this hallowed place There is no time. Just laughter and love And the joining of friends, God knows I long for that— As I long for the end. ©2023 jai
On the Fringe of Darkness 