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Open Poetry #34
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Lady In White
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since 2001-02-12
Posts 2799
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0 posted 2004-10-29 01:54 PM




Finally, She Passed it On

Somehow, in some way, she prays
you will see yourself
here, one day, for a moment, by some means…

do you recollect that summer day
heading south, out of chi-town
in your huge semi, barreling down the
gray lined stretch of your career

Someone has to do it, you were probably thinking,
                                  someone has to carry
beans to feed the hordes,
                                  someone has to link  
stores to warehouses to stores

some body’s car is up ahead, off to the side,
some young thing out, struggling with
her tired iron, probably get herself killed,
someone has to do it…

you were bushed, anxious to get home
to fresh-faced kids, a
wife whose dinner sits cooling
on the table, it was still then,
when nuclear family sounded sci-fi…

but you pulled your big rig over, hop-skipped
between cars, gravel rocked voice brusque
in shove of “need help?” then, “go check it’s in park”

you were too fast, too fast, she was only
rummaging around in her purse to find a way
to pay her thanks…

you were gone, her tire was on,
she, too, could now make it home
to her little ones…

you left, thinking,
pass it on, pass it on, pass it on…

~*~

today, she thought of you
driving down that gray lined stretch
thinking “please God, let the child live”

she had only done what she
knew she should,
stemmed some tears, held back
inner fears,
took her work-friend to a drop off
stop off point where the husband would
pick up scattered scared pieces of this little mother
who had received THAT call,
where the police say,
“are you the mother of…”

no one ever wants to hear that sound, that
“What!?”

she stood and knew,
she had been               there

stepping in, with no-nonsense
we will do it this way, then
rush her on towards the hospital
where her child had been medivac’d

struck by lightning
tragic freak accident

now husband holding wife,
continued on their way,

and she,
headed back, praying to God
“let the child live”

she thought of you.

She remembered thinking
you must have been an angel,

she’s been working hard for a lifetime
to do the right thing
pass it on pass it on pass it on

you had just disappeared.

She won’t disappear.

But she thinks, just perhaps…
She passed it on.

The child lives.


© Copyright 2004 Lady In White - All Rights Reserved
DavePage
Member Elite
since 2003-12-21
Posts 2917

1 posted 2004-10-29 03:21 PM


I got lost amongst this

The theme yes but I did find it very difficult to flow more than in straight small sections

Maybe this was the structure you embodied to add stop go to the vision using the road

The words are good but the flow I had trouble with

Dave

JamesMichael
Member Empyrean
since 1999-11-16
Posts 33336
Kapolei, Hawaii, USA
2 posted 2004-10-29 07:59 PM


Enjoyed...and I'm passing it on...James
Martie
Moderator
Member Empyrean
since 1999-09-21
Posts 28049
California
3 posted 2004-10-29 08:05 PM


Lady

Passing it on is one of the most beautiful things that humans do.  Thank you for this reminder and yes, I will, I do!  

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