Riverside By the Fire (revised

Riverside By the Fire

off the river

an ever bitter cold

it is always the same

some say the remains of

an unsurrendering winter

impossible to ignore wish or

pray away

standing in a room of worn eyes

nervous chatter mourns the person

the bouquet whispers

its heavenly oath promises they will be again

your eyes wander

you alone wonder where all

the men have gone

what do they know that you don't

are they being held against their will

or just killed off by boredom

work or god

here the women bow longer

to their own losses

their haunting sorrows are their shallow graves

left unattended there are no tearful prayers

no angelic choir cries

of hallelujah

you feel only the eternal cold

seeping bitterly

deep within

their quieted but

ever troubled

hearts

 

JPPestana

Riverside By the Fire

JPPestana

Riverside By the Fire

2.23.2022