Soul diva

As I lie alone chasing sleep,
her voice the only beacon in the dark.
Words like smoke drifting into my ear,
soothing the doubt in my heart.

She speaks to me and me alone,
as though standing at the foot of my bed.
Every breath between each word,
like a beat inside my head.

The song she sings of love and loss,
speaking from a life hard lived.
Painting pictures behind my eyes,
of the dreams she is sure to give.

As my waking mind gives up the fight,
and turns to dark and peaceful sleep.
her whispered tales of treasured hearts,
are mine alone to keep.

My hometown

Overlapping circles
form on the ground.

Pavement transformed,
into a shimmering mirror.

Shoulders hunched,
heads bent low.

Windows blurred,
as though washed by surf.

Traffic restrained,
making waves through puddles.

Surfaces clean,
metal and rubber shining.

Sky bruised,
churning and dark.

Familiar sights,
My hometown in Autumn.

A dam as a metaphor

If life can be seen as a flowing river,
then the moments that arrive,
when we need to face a fear,
can be seen as a dam in our way.

We see it on the horizon,
approaching as our life flows onward,
growing bigger with each passing hour,
appearing insurmountable.

Our minds build this obstacle,
increasing its size with worry,
adding layers of stress,
with the contemplation of consequences.

The moment arrives,
life’s river crashing against the dam,
unable to progress or move onward,
until the obstacle has been breached.

The fear is faced,
the decision reached,
for good or ill life’s flow continues,
into clearer, calmer waters.

And like a flowing river,
we may look back and ponder,
wondering what might have been,
but unable to influence at all.