Peace.

Quiet Stillness.

Gray sky.

Slight wind.

Thoughts project to a time when life was harder.

A time when the path was lost.

When the leader was not evident.

I am happy that those days are gone.

Poof!

Disintegrated.

Melted away.

The truly worthless events they were.

Well – not exactly worthless.

It has all been a journey.

I am grateful for every last destination along the way.

A small raindrop.

No worry.

I am sitting under an umbrella.

The same umbrella that allowed me to weather every storm along the way.

Hurricanes,

Earthquakes,

Floods,

Beatings.

No pain.

I can turn off the switch that allows me to feel it.

Go ahead –

Hit me harder.

I won’t feel it.

Not now anyway.

Maybe later.

Maybe 30 years later.

What’s that?

You say maybe you would prefer not to remember?

It is okay.

It is time to remember.

All you…

Birdless sky swells grey blue against
trees that stand like brushes 
stiff in the cold

It is the penultimate breath
of a new earth.

The dark disappears in a steadfast
philanthropy of color: red, orange, rose 
blush up from the land over lakes and hills 
and roof slats to tell the inhabitants

Night has not prevailed.

Earth  e x h a l e s
as the sun spills her promise.