There was no grand sunset
painting the sky with
orange and pink hues.
no stars shining down
from Heaven,
no moon to light the way
to salvation
no one to pray for his soul
in the cold and dark
as he lay down
closed his eyes
and said good bye
to the memories
Tag: death
Fox and Hare
a fox and a hare
race for winter's survival—
the fox leaves hungry
Two Simple Graves
I visit them in silent repose,
their memories float on whispered breath.
Bringing the delight of days now gone,
I do not feel the sorrow of death.
Here I can still see her loving smile,
feel her spirit fill my heart again.
I see his eyes dance as laughter spills,
and tobacco stains his grizzled chin.
I’m with him once more in darkened woods,
as favored dogs run o’er creek and hill.
The taste of port wine upon our lips,
we’ll drink until we have had our fill.
I return to her comforting arms,
upon my brow I can feel her kiss.
I let all my troubles fade away,
to be replaced with a peaceful bliss.
They’re nothing more than two simple graves,
no different from any other.
But these two hold all the memories,
of my cherished father and mother.
Skipo
An empty penut butter jar, a saltine cracker box, and some Orange Crush cans sit in the trash. An old worn leather recliner in the corner by the window. The wall mounted TV stuck on Gunsmoke. The wrinkle free bed covers tucked in tight. A small dog lays at the foot of the bed and looks longingly at the door. Everything in place—except you.
I'm here
you're not—
sadness
~A Rose by Any Other Name~
They say
that in poetry
one can confess
all their sins
be freed from
their past
and start again
but these words
I write
won’t last long enough
to be remembered
no matter how hard
I try to hide them
behind flowery prose
they will never
smell like a rose
Jerry Brotherton 