Ode to a life built together

There was a gulf between us
A chasm wide and deep
Eroded slowly through the years
Created by the sins we keep

But now there is a bridge
Where none appeared before
A structure delicate yet strong
Willed there from our very core

We were young and kindred spirits
Connected easily through song
Dancing to our very own soundtrack
Never thinking things could go wrong

But, we let the years slip by
Intent on living life
Fighting through the peaks and troughs
Honoring vows as man and wife

And then one day we found
That our souls had gone to sleep
Lulled into a numb submission
From wounds silent but going deep

Yet we were meant to be
You know it as I do
Two troopers bound for life
With hearts both bold and true

We'll meet there in the middle
Where we can feel once more
We'll fill the gulf with memories
And let our spirits soar

The music has restarted
Softly, yes, but there
A reminder of the beginning
Of just how much we care

So, hold tight the ride's not over
Not yet as far as I can tell
We have many years before us
So, let us live them well

Don't let go

Don't let go.
How can you leave now?
When I've laid bare my soul
Grown before your eyes

You've changed me.
I cannot go back
Yet you won't be here
To cheer me on

You're in pain.
But is it still selfish?
I cannot judge
I'm too wrapped up in all that you are

Stay with me.
Physically... not just in my mind
Or plastered across my heart
Or seared into my soul


I love you.
And that will feed my pain
In the years to come
It will always be you

Rushing forward

Life is changing quickly
No longer what it was
A maelstrom of emotion
Cascading with a buzz
Weeping all alone
For all that's yet to come
Knowing we're moving forward
With nowhere left to run
Gently now my angel
Let's not lose our way
We're more than half way there
So let's embrace this grey

Intent

I left a blank space waiting
To be filled at a future date
A space just white and calling
Like a clean and empty plate

I've now a twisted sense to share
Of motions gone awry
Of intent and fate ensnared
Leaving a coiled and knotted lie

Choices, choices, choices

Eliminate your stress
Let your soul feel only joy
As else your eyes won't see
This is fact, not a cruel ploy

You've chosen this silly path
Picked long before you came
Seeking some such wisdom
Eschewing wealth and fame

Now when darkness is falling
And the world is lit from within
You know that there's a reason
So, you must face it with a grin

No Regrets

Not often do I wish that I chose a different path
But sometimes if I let myself I see where I might have gone
It's a painful, silly exercise that leads nowhere except great pain
So, I shut that side of my mind to keep safe and sane

Looking back

I fear that I've forgotten
How bold and brave I was
Back when I was just a youth
Following my very own laws

Now I look back and I see
A cautious, retiring frame
Someone more preoccupied
With living a life most tame

Is it that time marched on,
Leaving me wiser now?
Or is it the younger faces,
Cowing me by showing me how?

Committed

You've made your vow
You're committed now

A family man
With a bigger plan

The wheel has turned
All others are spurned

You've made your nest
And we wish you the best

Go West

The fields were yellow and green

Under skies of blue

The landscape was magnificent

Never-ending and brand new

A lush and fertile land

Where man could thrive and grow

A place filled with essentials

On display as if for show

But is this where we're called?

To settle and to sow?

In a pastoral kind of existence?

Leaving behind all we know?

Notice

I can understand the beauty
Of simply checking out
Of leaving the stress behind
Not caring what it's all about

When a soul veers by the wayside
It's often clear to all
That life's little demands
Are what likely caused the fall

But we keep trucking forward
Bending mind and spirit too
To focus on the goodness
To let the light shine right on through

Another Spring

Hello again my weary friend
We both know it's not the end
Just another day gone by
When we smile and scream and laugh and sigh
A bittersweet pill of memories past
Watching the years slip by fast
Seeing our faces captured in time
Proving that we're not quite sublime
Those distant thoughts of immortal youth
Have fallen away for timeless truth
That we will age along with the seasons
Despite our fighting with different reasons
We're but a speck in this vast age
Searching for meaning before turning the page

Not Just Yet

Give me a reason to let you go
And I'll give you ten for why I say "no"

The day will come, of this I'm sure
But when it does, I'll know the allure

I'll see the strength written behind your eyes
I'll see the path stretching long & wise

Until then, I grant the favor of my past
So your future success is sure to last

Only when I see these signs
I'll know we've crossed those blurry lines

Where we still tread between old and new
Wondering how and what to do

So, hold on for now, my clever one
The time will come for you to run

And then I won't stand in your way
You'll have my blessing & the thoughts I pray

Job

Now I feel the pressure
Of having words to write
Before it was a pleasure
With no other goal in sight

At least there is this outlet
Of fun and reverie
Where I can dream most freely
Expressing ideas that come to me

Another go-round

Another life maybe to change it all
But we are here, it was our call
We chose to be in this very place
We chose to run this very race
Now we must try our best to understand
Why we chose this very hand

Little birds

Little bird singing softly
To yourself up in a tree
Do you ever look below
Wondering what you're meant to be?
Or are such thoughts left just to us,
To drive us mad with wonder?
Forcing us to look within,
To face our faults with candor?

A Friday in June

It was a Friday in June

When all the world was in swoon

A blistering sun shining in

A feeling that all of us could win

But we were gathered for a friend

Who was clearly facing the very end

Amid the errant bees buzzing by

The imminent sense of a spirit preparing to fly

The sad, sad smiles of those standing near

Not wanting to say the words we fear

A hard goodbye we knew was nigh

Despite the warmth and love nearby

And then with everyone standing around

He calmly exhaled and made no other sound

A gentle soul who we all still love

Who we hope is now smiling from above

Green again

Once again all is green
Despite the lingering cold
Another spring like we have seen
Although we're getting old

But thank our stars we're still here
A sigh of praise to say
We're grateful that the skies are clear
As we continue on our way

Regret

I want the past, or at least what I thought it was

I want the comfort of a normal life

I want to say that through it all
I wasn't so blind or so full of strife

But so far every moment
I relive with shame
Knowing that it was in my grasp
To remove this blame

A horrid lie to tell yourself
That you were doing right
When in reality you had no idea
That actions would result in such blight

I was strong I lived it through
It was my normal every day
But you're not me, I see that now
And I'm sorry you had not say

Keeping it together

I'm living in this crazy dream
Where nothing is as it seems
An hallucination of sorts
Ripping at my very seams

Moving forward

Days of calm have returned
But the scars are still fresh from the burn
It's a new way of looking now at our life
One where we mitigate and manage strife
Although the line has slacked a bit
We're now vigilant lest we again get hit


I know I've been rather slack with posting recently. We've been managing a lot of stress and some life-altering situations. Things are starting to return to a more normal pace and hopefully I'll be able to pick up again where I left off.