The reality of finality

At some point, don’t we all have reason to see

the reality of finality

In the sweeping hands of the clock

time adds layers and weight

And in some cases, it strips away everything

until all that’s left are bones

It’s strange, the soft clicking sounds the bones make as they move

a tap, or a click, something…

Something to alert their presence

and remind that they are still here

The flesh becomes thinner, skin…loose

and the barrier of protection that once existed

Suddenly, seemingly suddenly,

disappears as if it was never there

There are moments, instances, where the shadow

the ghost of the former self is visible

The way that it hovers above and in the fringes

may cause you to pause and wonder

You may begin to question your ability

to see anything clearly

You may start to challenge your own

perception and skill to decipher reality

You may simply realize that as life

and its unavoidable reality reveals itself

That you just want to be a child again

and that your parents will never grow old

Resembling, being

is not feeling connected

the same as feeling disconnected

wishing for things that are no longer

or simply wishing for nothing

is distance measurable

or does it bend and twist

creating incremental spaces

that start to define us

is my view from within

anything near the perspective from without

or does this prism bend light

differently from both sides

can you see me, can I see you

we may think the answer yes

but the reality is, the outside

only sees what we allow

we make decisions to be transparent

or to shield ourselves to varying degrees

shades, veils, masks, call them by name

we all wear costumes of one sort or another

we all have faces that we hide

and faces we show the world

we can paint them, adorn them in jewels

or we can strip them naked and bare

is anyone ever comfortable enough

to stand naked in the spotlight

has anyone ever truly felt

that they have nothing left to hide

I feel like my biggest secret is that

I don’t have any secrets anymore

wishes fallen by the wayside

dreams dripping down the drain

can you convince yourself to want

should you have to try to need

when the broken pieces no longer add up to a whole

does it still equal a life

can you push through, can you walk it off

can you take off the masks and the cape

can you strip yourself completely bare

can you believe yourself into being again

Rainbow Bouquet

I awoke with a shot

not sure where I was

music was playing softly

“imagine there’s no heaven”

the feeling of dread was heavy on my chest

my breath caught as I coughed

the room was brightly lit

and I had forgotten where I was

years have passed now

since this journey began

years since I have been so alone

walking down this road

there was a respite

a brief moment in time

where everything stopped

and I saw you

you caught my eye

like a bouquet of balloons

ready to launch

into the adventure of a lifetime

you blew gently and easily

as if nothing disrupted your flight

you drifted slowly and lazily

letting your colour dazzle my eyes

I was lost in the blur

caught in the midst of a rainbow

feeling the warmth

just before a rain

now the rain has stopped

the ground is dry and cracked

the air has grown too still

and the colour has faded to grey

*Written for the prompt today over at Imaginary Gardens with Real Toads 
https://withrealtoads.blogspot.com/2019/07/bits-of-inspiration-you-write-color.html?fbclid=IwAR3Ny-xo2bRUi2ieQjTCtLeNBE7PkowmJFo-8CAFjfiWztdtFvjlKcHAw50

Photo by Susie Clevenger