SADLY SOOTHED I BREAST MY FEARS

Sadly soothed I breast my fears

give up my anger

my fierce flagellation.

The sky has gotten too grey

the melancholy too mad

the effort too great.

Long ago I

used to skip across rocks

on the Willowemoc River

walk along the railroad trestle

dive off high boards and

admire my courage.

Now,

one slip is

too much

there is nothing to admire

and

courage is not the word.

It’s the weighing of the scales

the apt appraisal and

the unworthy ends that

do me in

dig me deeper

than I had planned or wanted.

The sad mouths

the pained eyes

the untouched look of both of us

the sleep walking rituals

averted faces

longing lost children

playing grown up games

finally

halting the

carnage

and skin to skin

harbor each other

knowingly.