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Monday, July 2, 2018

"Till Death Do Us Part"

~ Ah, you shall be together,
even in the silent memory of God.
~ Kahlil Gibran

They walk
 together in perfect cadence
Both have silver hair, reflecting their years
 His hand gently supports her back, she steps onto the bridge
 My heart softens with this act of tenderness
I think they have spent a lifetime together
Every look, every gesture, is pure and honest-
 Each expression, softly echoes; "Till death do us part."


At the south side of the lake, a group has gathered
A couple have just concluded their wedding vows;"Till death do us part"
 I watch the young couple as they walk to their vehicle
Unlike the older couple, I do not see a shared tenderness
I am troubled; she opens one door, he, the other 
They appear to be in a hurry, so separate, so apart-
Most likely, they are on to a reception.


 I wish they would watch the older couple
Yet, I can see, they have no time for "watching"
They quickly gather the other members of their party
And hasten out of the parking lot
I feel sad; the beginning of their chapter seems so fragile
Yet the older couple, though perhaps fragile in years-
Have a  nurtured solidity about them; "Till death do us part."

 
Through shared joys and heartaches
They possess a  Freedom in being themselves
 They remind me of  two strong, beautiful trees
Growing side by side, their branches telling a story
There is nothing lopsided about either one
They have grown strong and true-
Life Companions; "Till death do us part."
 

Looking upward, I see two geese
They fly with graceful precision, their wings in unity
They, too, are together; their relationship revealed in flight
Each is made stronger, because of the other
Life is filled with such opposites, every minute of each day
Perhaps this is the Unseen Hand of the Universe, asking -
Only for a time, or"Till death do us part?"
 

~ Again, I think about the young couple;"Till death do us part"...

Alicia O'Hara 
Copyrighted Material;.17 August, 2013 


~ Beannaichte'
2 July, 2018

 


@beannaichte.twitter.com

2 comments:

  1. "Hi Alicia, This is beautifully put. I really like it.
    As for myself, I'm still out in the mudflats, I've been trying my hand at writing some serious prose ideas. I'll let you know how they pan out. I thought you might like this one of mine. It was inspired by my thoughts several years ago about society today's indifference to the futility of war and the human costs involved.
    My best regards to you, Dusti x


    In Remembrance

    God looked down,
    At the carnage of life;
    Caused by the folly,
    Of mere mortal generals.
    The trenches dug
    By the sweat of many.
    filled with the bodies,
    That were once the seeds of Youth:
    For the generation of Nations.
    Serving now as only ploughed furrows;
    In the fields of the dead.

    All this He saw;
    the waste of mankind,
    The futility of war;
    And He wept.
    Such was his grief,
    That his tears rained down.
    Churning the ground,
    Into mud;
    Until the ugly scars of War,
    Were covered.

    He then caused the Poppy to grow there;
    With leaves of Haigh green;
    A hue rarely seen.
    The petals were blood red,
    As ran the fields of the dead.
    The centre was black,
    The colour of mourning.
    To remind us all,
    "Lest we should forget."

    Some only remember,
    For two minutes,
    On a Sunday in November.
    During the service from the Cenotaph.
    Many don't remember even then.


    ReplyDelete
  2. Hello Dusti. It is good to read your words. I appreciate the update, and wish you continued success with your writing. I think one word describes "In Remembrance"-Poignant! Thank you, for sharing it. "Lest we should forget" is certainly appropriate for current times, as well. This is the legacy of a poet: we are not here just to write folly, but instead, we have a responsibility to remind people of what has been, and what will continue to be, if we are to remain on the same course. "In Remembrance" does just that.
    Again, I thank you, Dusti.
    As always, I send my absolute best.
    Warm Wishes!
    ~Beannaichte'!
    Alicia

    ReplyDelete