The worthless things burned up.
Ash fell like snow
at a funeral.
Jukeboxes hummed the wrong songs,
flat, meaningless anthems
to a life long gone.
I saw my old self tumble out of a bar,
shirt torn, fedora dirty,
jacket soaked with beer
and vomit.
I think a dove looked at me once
and shook its head.
Through the flames, I kept score.
Bottles I didn’t drink,
pills I didn’t swallow,
words I didn’t throw.
Fairway greens, swinging clubs
without breaking windows.
Throwing a spinner bait
under a willow tree.
Kissing the river
without cussing
at the ducks.
One stubborn step
out of chaos
was enough
to survive.
Some things turned to gold.
Some turned to steel.
Some flattened and smashed
like tin cans
under a hobo’s foot.
The nonsense, the vanity,
the garbage promised heaven,
delivered confusion
and hangovers.
And yet, in the corners
of the disaster,
I found what stayed:
real beauty,
values that crouched hidden
like a stray dog
in the garage,
the things fire
couldn’t touch.
I’m surrounded by the things that stayed.
Coffee that bites back,
cats nodding in the sun,
squirrels and robins
dancing in the spring light,
echoes of friends long gone.
Small things survive the fire:
integrity, reverence,
a quiet hum reminding me
some parts of life
are worth holding on to.
And in the stillness I bow.
Cup lifted to the orange
and pink sunrise
that feels like forgiveness
and cattails
brushing my cheek.
Whisper thanks to the creator
beaming soft
through my window.
Small hands of time
and wisdom
guiding me
past the fire.
These things survived the fire.
And so did I.
A little singed,
a couple of second-degree burns,
but wiser
through the flames.
Brilliantly penned, Thomas. Excellent storytelling, this is a write I can definitely relate to my friend. Amazing work. Appreciate you.
Damian
Thank you, my friend.
There are some poems that require a moment of stillness and silence upon reading. This is one of those pieces. The words carry so much more than the story. I wonder if it’s possible to upload the video of the reading directly to the posting? That would be amazing!
Thank you, so much.
Applause are due for this one. It is so strongly crafted, but not too heavy. Like a good conversation during a stroll with an old friend. I admire your results here, a great deal. Well done.
Thank you.
A page and a half filled with contrasts and deep .. there is so much here to reflect upon and digest .. I can feel another visit coming along .. very impressive brother T and threaded throughout with the TWC hallmark .. Neville
Thank you, my friend.
Thomas this is a masterpiece of poetic reflection. You capture the experience of a life fully lived with burns but also very much alive and with a spirit that the burns couldn’t touch. Truly a brilliantly composes retrospective on the things that scorch but which we live through until we reach a point of liberation that you write with the crystal clear clarity of a great man of letters.
John