The following poems were written for a man I once thought was the centre of my universe. It’s almost nineteen years since I shed those tears and I’ve found new, strong and lasting love. This post is for those of you who think that your life ends with the loss of one love. It changes and you change but it can get better. You just have to pick up the pieces (probably best to discard the not so good ones) and face life again. As usual, please pass one or both of these on to anyone you think might like to read it/them.
OAK
Rooted firmly in the ground
my oak
is tall and strong
protecting creatures
that snuggle into his trunk
and hide in his leaves.
Wide he spreads his branches
and so high
his canopy is sometimes in the clouds.
I sit in his shade
and lean on him.
His bigness can be overwhelming,
too long in his shadow
I shrink and fade
then I need to walk in the sun
content
secure
knowing he is there
in the centre of my garden.
A TIME FOR TEARS
Flowing like a waterfall
these tears I shed for you.
At night I wake to wrenching sobs
my pillow wet
my soul bereft;
I want to sleep forever.
Do you cry too?
Does guilt grip you with remorse
for leaving me
for what you too have lost?
Perhaps one day
my heart will mend
my tears no longer fall.
One day I might not
think of you with sadness
but after forty years
I know there’ll never come a time
when I can say
‘I don’t love you anymore.’