Living in the In-Betweens

The geese, who all winter long have graced us
with their beckoning calls,
are beginning to head home,
tiny buds only seen by the waiting eye
are tentatively making their appearance
on the boney limbs of trees,
keeping themselves tightly enclosed
until the warm touch of spring
sets them free,
and the clouds, once gloomy and gray,
are now spreading across the sky
in a gentle blossoming of color.
But there are still fickle days,
days that bring me to my knees,
days when the frigid air
can freeze tears to my chapped cheeks,
days when the bitter, ruthless wind
takes my breath away, leaving me
gasping, grasping for life,
days when one can get lost in the dark
before the day is snuffed out.
We, you and I,
are living on the fragile edge
of what has been and what will be
balancing our hours
on a tight rope of uncertainty,
nothing promised,
nothing locked behind the door of finality.
In the dark, while a fine layer of frost
coats the sluggish world and
winter's demanding hum
rattles the walls
we've come to trust,
we pull each other a little closer,
each of us tightly gripping the other
in a promising embrace,
pledging with our bodies
not to let the other tumble end over end
into that black abyss of in-betweens
waiting just below us.

Comments

[NTE]

So powerful. I connect so much to this, and thought you should know. It's just amazing.

[Jill]

Kathy and I tagged you with a "Roar for powerful words" award over on our blog -- http://www.thedhx.com/2008/01/11/roar/ -- I don't know if you do memes or not, but I'd love to hear your writing tips, if you do.

[Jennifer (she said)]

Glad you have come out and shared some writing too, but I totally get the introvert thing and understand hibernation. That is a good word for it. I do it too. Sometimes it's good and important/healthy, sometimes I ask myself if I might be doing it too much. Whatever it is, it's who I am! I hope this post finds you well :-) Jennifer

[shona]

wonderful words and what a beautiful photo, ahhhh. your own Life Images right here :)

[hel]

You speak to my heart.

[bella]

This is really beautiful. For me, poetry is a fickle thing. It takes one line to lose me or my interest.
*But*, I love the way you write. This poem is really, just so.. lovely.

[Frankie]

"We, you and I,
are living on the fragile edge
of what has been and what will be"

Another gorgeous poem, Michelle. What beautiful words, what a sense of comfort as we come to pull each other a little closer...It's simply perfection. xoxo

[pink sky]

i'm holding on right there with you, trying not to tumble...xo

[Thea]

hmmmm so beautiful. Another one for that book. I hope you keep all your poems in one place, because before you realize you will be able to send it off to be published:)

Love you

[liz elayne]

wow. girl. wow.
this poem is just...i don't have words. it is just gorgeous. such powerful writing here. bravo my friend. bravo.