Charles, with a period at the end
Starting Over, READ WRITE POEM Mini-Challenge
poem group index POEM #4 RWP Mini-Challenge Prompt
It won’t be easy you understand.
Said to myself as an afterthought.
Who would believe what I believe?
Even me?
He taught me to pray, really pray
for the first time in my life.
Because there was a need?
Or was it desire?
It was a daily public place.
People all about. But before
I ate, a prayer to say.
The theatre audience was dim.
I was afraid to look.
Say it’s a day like others are.
And for all his genuine faith,
fearless spirit, there towards
bright and bright,
He earnestly wanted life!
With all his mind, with all his strength.
With all his heart.
Yet when another common day
arrived, and to no one’s surprise,
he didn’t answer any more.
Surely we were wrong. He is
kidding us. He’ll stand, and
the joke’s on us.
One brief ride into sunny
country hills. We gather round.
Someone says a few more words.
It’s not too late. It’s possible.
I’d be willing to believe
a new common place.
We stand, mostly words remain
in our pockets, and watch.
Really real approaches close.
Last chance. Last chance,
before the mortar goes dry.
Arise. Say it was just another
lesson we needed to learn.
I’ll believe. Willingly.
And he never knew that day
what he’d given me.
I still pray, and one day
it saved my heart.
Neil Reid IHL Remembered this January 2010
Neil, I am gratified that a word or two of mine was the seed for this lovely poem which offers so many fine grace notes: the afterthought, the really real, the last chance, the words remaining in pockets. With my limited understanding of the background for this poem, I read it as a tender elegy for a close friend (perhaps mentor) who passed away. I see the poem as presenting both that friend’s life & influence, and his burial in the cemetery. The title “Charles, with a period at the end” suggests the end of a life, or perhaps even the inscription on a grave stone of a first name only. Thank you for being kind enough to reference my small influence. I appreciate it!
Therese thank you so much for your generous response. Yours was no minor note in allowing me to see, then approach these moments for me to write about.
Your take on the poem is more than right enough. It was centered upon the emotional moment, not meant to tell a story in specifics, so I’m fully pleased that you did understand even without background. (For this moment right here I’ll only add that he was both teacher and founder of my church, a man fully committed to faith.) Something just says to me, leave it at that.
I would not have felt clear to express what this poem did without the door you poem allowed for me to receive. My sincere thanks. And I rather like that it all happened that way.
Such beauty and love in these words.
“I still pray, and one day
it saved my heart.”
Lovely and perfect last line. This brought tears to my eyes.
Thank you zouxzoux! Yes, yes, the core of this poem is about the emotional feelings of that event in my life, so your response, your willingness to allow your own response exactly as it was, is most gratifying and a welcome result for the poem.
I appreciate your kind attention.
Neil,
Beautiful! The lines ” I believe. Willingly. “And he never knew that day what he’d given me. Very moving indeed. I love it!
Pamela
Thanks for your response Pamela. This poem was definitely off the cuff. Reading Therese’s poem had such emotional impact for me that this poem just soon emerged for me to write. Perhaps not so refined, but that was not part of the intent – write in a new way was the prompt after all. So, there’s maybe thirty minutes of what wanted to be said of a feeling from then. Virtually no editing. Write and post. Simply that. Thanks again.
Neil, Your words of elegy are like a few well placed stones.
The punchline is tender.
That’s a nice way to say it. Thank you Irene.