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Open Poetry #8
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Saturday Morning (revisited - just induldge me)
| Open Poetry #8 |
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Saturday Morning (revisited - just induldge me) |
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JP Senior Member
since 1999-05-25
Posts 1343Loomis, CA 
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This work was penned a year or so ago and just recently brought back to my attention. I could not get it out of my head so I thought I would indulge myself in a little self-gratification and repost it. I wake to a cold gray morning, after a restless, fitful night. It's early and all others are quiet. I shuffle down my dark hall, pause at the bathroom, flush, then go to the kitchen. The cold of the vinyl floor seeps into my feet bottoms causing my ankles to ache. I start coffee, and grab a glass, 8 ounces of water and 3 dozen pills. I choke down my first meds of the day. Stomach churning, I sit at the table, staring at nothing but what may have been. Coffee's cooked and I pour a cup, sipping the nectar of life I again stare, at nothing but what once was. My son comes down the hall, twisting his blonde hair, rubbing his eyes. He walks past me and says "cartoons", walks to the TV, turns it on, and sits, as I watch him intently. Two years old and he knows what he wants, the kid will be a success some day, I think this proudly as I sadden, knowing I won't be there to see it. I tear my eyes from him, painfully. My daughter makes her way down the hall, thirteen years old and becoming a woman. She is beautiful in face, body, and mind. I look at her and cannot decide, if I want her to slump, or stand up straight. "Morning dad" she says as she walks by,. she sits on the floor by Joshua Without taking his eyes off the tube, he crawls on her back and sits there, both of them watching cartoons. I hear the toilet grumble,. and turn to see my other girl 9 years old, little, blonde, beautiful. she walks past me in a daze, a morning person she is not. She goes to the couch and curls up, pulling on a blanket she's glued to the tube. I watch the three of them. Fresh, fun, beautiful, and smart. I turn away so they can't see the tears. Another cup of coffee, my stomach wailing, hunger pains strike at me violently, but pills are my breakfast for now. I look down the hall, my hall, and see Tami, clothed and bright eyed. Fifteen years of marriage we've had, and I still cannot fathom how, she can love early days so much. I am, have been, and will be, a creature of the night. A quick kiss and a good morning, as I hand her a cup of black gold. I feel the day start to wake up, and I take the moment to reflect. My god, how lucky can one man be? ------------------ Dum spiro, spero JP Yesterday is ash, tomorrow is smoke; only today does the fire burn. JP "Everything is your own damn fault, if you are any good." E. Hemmingway |
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| © Copyright 2000 JP Burns - All Rights Reserved | |||
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Ethan Halo Senior Member
since 2000-04-28
Posts 793on the roof again |
i was near tears myself. excellently versed. quite a dose of reality and saddness in these lines. the narrator here has everything to live for. he needs a new diet plan. strive on. everyone's got their demons. We all got somethin' we need to atone for. |
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doreen peri Member Elite
since 1999-05-25
Posts 3812Virginia |
This is a photo of an hour in a man's life which i won't soon forget... it has pathos... a hard edge with the soft touch of a father's heart. These lines really got me... "Coffee's cooked and I pour a cup, sipping the nectar of life I again stare, at nothing but what once was." "I think this proudly as I sadden, knowing I won't be there to see it." "I look at her and cannot decide, if I want her to slump, or stand up straight." "I watch the three of them. Fresh, fun, beautiful, and smart. I turn away so they can't see the tears." "but pills are my breakfast for now." "I feel the day start to wake up, and I take the moment to reflect. My god, how lucky can one man be?" Thanks for posting this, JP. Enjoyed this very much.... oh... and Happy Father's Day |
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Poet deVine
Administrator
Member Seraphic
since 1999-05-26
Posts 22612Hurricane Alley |
JP, as you know I love this. There is so much that is NOT said here...read it a couple of times.... Please go back and edit it so we can vote for it...if you want to that is!!  |
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netswan Senior Member
since 2000-03-28
Posts 1369Washington |
Why not have a little indulgence on fatherhood?-----Children are special. This was beautifully penned! Happy Father's Day! ~netswan |
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