Flare

From the light of dreams to morning's gloom,
Illuminated by a son, next darkened by a cloud.
A sun-filled ride to a light, supportive room
Then late and lost, lamenting now out loud.

Another flare, the heart is filled and light
Not twenty minutes, why would she grant consent?
For kindness, love, that shining moment's right
Protects this heart against the next descent

Through violent storm, no gentle rain to wash
The wounds, but sharp-edged ice and black and bitter night.
Again, the son, and hose nor mud can quash
The rainbow-joy now running in the light.

As metal tempered by the fire and freeze,
From warm to chill, this soul's harsh destiny
To know indifference, knowing to appease,
Survive, grow strong, for love's eternity

RonRisley – 22 May 2005

On My Rocker

It’s back! After fourteen months at the restorer, I finally have my rocking chair again. A year ago February I sat rocking Matthew on my lap when the chair seemed to dissolve beneath me. I cracked my head on the floor, but Matthew landed on top of me and was unhurt. Even the damage to the chair was less than how it felt — the right side rocker, that had had a makeshift repair long ago, had simply fallen off causing the chair to fall backwards and to the right.

Continue reading On My Rocker

Vacation

They leave.
Often too soon. They
leave us behind with the
thousand daily sorrows
and joys of our lives.
We speak of their big
things, their public
things, how they made
a small difference for
many or, perhaps, a big
difference for one.
Or two. We remember
smaller things, glances,
words, understandings,
knowledge of presence
even when contact was
deferred for the trivial.
We speak of accomplishments.
We remember stories.

They leave.
Leave spaces in our
world where once they
lived with such vivid
reality that they could
be safely ignored for
great spans of time.
Now those vacated
spaces call to our
longing.

They leave.
We do not grieve
for them but for left
behinds who can but
embrace faith that we
might in some different
eternity fill parts of
one another's worlds 
once again.

RonRisley – 02 May 2005