If I close my eyes
I can catch a fleeting glimpse
Of bright feathers darting past
The spots they leave behind
I cannot blink away
They color every recollection
Memories slipping in and out of place and time
A broken kaleidoscope
I cannot help but turn
Looking for the stories I have lost
And the ones I will change, with and without intent
My wings beat so fast then,
One stroke, one hour, one day blurring
Into the next
Always searching
Pausing only to sip the nectar,
Sweet sustenance of daydreams and hope
My heart hammered so frantically then,
An inconstant drum,
Always seeking the rhythm
I could embrace as my own
And now
And now . . .
Such a chancy thing, eyes shut,
To snatch that bird
To hold it fluttering against the cupped palms of my worn hands,
Light as forgotten praise
Fragile as a dandelion crown
Such a delicate operation
To cut out that palpitating core,
No bigger than a summer seed
To keep it alive
Long enough to wonder
If it still has the strength
To quicken the blood in these veins
And stir the dreams
Of my slow and steady heart
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This is wonderful! You have captured the sense of loss we experience as we lose the innocent dreams of childhood and replace them with the reality of adult responsibility. And yet, you hold out hope that the nurtured dream still lives. I stand in awe of your artistry with the written word and the emotional and intellectual sensitivity it expresses.
ReplyDeleteSue
I will retry posting this (I was out of town and thought my comment went through but it did not?): the dandelion line is my favorite.
ReplyDeleteThank you both! In college I went through a phase of bringing little dandelion bouquets to people for good luck. I've always associated them with wishes and their tenuous nature.
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