posted by Charles H. Russo on Oct 30
Hand-carved Islamic designs in a wooden paravent, Paris. The picture (below) is of an open doorway leading to a corridor, Mosquee de Paris. Photos by Jordana Shalhoub.
For the Writers Island prompt “haunted,” a poem about a man haunted by a decision made years ago that he has yet to put right. Will he seek redemption?
For N.
Your biggest fear
should be your fiercest pride;
why are you afraid of the truth?
One day you must face her
and all these years of lies and avoidance
can’t keep that moment from happening.
One bad decision at age 36
has haunted you
since you walked away.
One love resulting in a baby
you chose to ignore,
rather than face your family’s wrath.
One terrible moment when
you took the wrong turn
and couldn’t find your way back.
One hastily-arranged marriage
that your mother plotted
can’t change the facts:
one year you loved someone
but were too scared to stay,
so you settled for less.
One big responsibility,
leaving a young woman on her own
to be strong enough for two.
One weak man
as stubborn as the stone walls
that surround your heart.
One selfish choice you now regret,
but don’t know how to fix
requires just one simple step;
one act of courage
to finally take the high road
and do the right thing.
One meeting when you gaze
at a face so familiar
you wonder how you survived
one single day
without having this bright spirit
an important part of your life.
One lucky day
if she chooses to forgive
your unforgivable absence.
One moment you can look in the mirror
and not have to lie,
even to yourself.
One fine day
you’re no longer haunted
by plaintive echoes of the past.
parisparfait.typepad.com
Leave a Reply