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Tuesday, August 20, 2013

Raincloud

It all seems so important
when you're standing in
the eye of the storm
with sweet memories
love songs
and heartbroken promises
blustering about you.

Instead of looking in the mirror
and asking "why me"
look at his picture
and say "poor fool".

The world is full of willing suitors
who would love to twirl you
under the starry sky
and coax out your honeyed laughter.

Every moment spent in regret
is another mile away from
the joy of the moment.

The unrequited,
the painfully knowing among us,
who make promises
to the unanswering moon,
who believe in the happy endings
of countless black and white movies,
who have loved only
to not be loved in return,
will value your worth
and give you, in kind,
the love you crave
the love you need.

The unrequited know love in its most
unashamed and unguarded expressions,
from its enveloping warmth to its prickly cold.
Although the scar is permanent,
and it gives the unblemished heart
the nobility of experience and character,
the pain is temporary.

I empathize with the sad young girls
with their precious broken hearts,
for I too have often sold myself cheaply
for crumbs of attention.

And with each day that you
walk through the pain
the end of sadness gets
closer
and the memories are less tortuous
and the rejection is less acute
and the new doorways are more inviting
and you wrap yourself in the
illusion of tomorrow just to endure today
and you pin your hopes on a thing called
Better:
"things will get better"
"someone will love me better"
"my outbursts of uncontrollable crying will get better"
"food will someday taste better"
"someday, I'll be better".
When the wounds are fresh
you can't imagine they'll heal.
They will,
and all the things that were magical before
are now merely empty reminders,
so let them go.
Yesterday got you to today
and today will get you to tomorrow
where your heart will dance again
and your eye will be unexpectedly caught again
and song will spontaneously flow from within again.
To wish for yesterday
is the folly of the lovelorn.

Make up a new set of prayers
to be answered.
In the meanwhile
treat yourself royally
be brazenly extravagant
eat what you want
dress how you feel
go out every single night of the week
and kick up your heels.
Do what you must to duck the grief
and cushion the initial shock.
The pain will be waiting for you
when you are ready
to deal with it.

In all likelihood
your beloved will return
contrite and almost pathetic,
and regrettably (for him)
it will probably be too late.

And you'll know you're moving forward
when your favorite love songs
evoke wistfulness instead of tears
and the solitude of Sunday mornings is
more tranquil than lonely
and old photographs of the two of you
bring knowing smiles
instead of frenzied plans of reconciliation.
The hope is that
someday the memories you've shared
will be divorced from their tragic endings.

Your presently broken heart
is simply a reminder of how
everything changes all the time.

Roses grow, bloom and wither.

Rainclouds come, release and go
leaving even more beautiful
blue skies and cotton clouds
in their necessary wake.

On this spinning blue planet
there is always sunshine
sometime
somewhere
someplace.

Go find your sunshine
and bask in it.

[Posted for #OpenLinkNight at dversepoets.com - where even a misfit like me can find poemlove.]

36 comments:

  1. wow. wow. i really, really love this. especially from "and you wrap yourself in the
    illusion of tomorrow just to endure today" on... you just take right off.

    filled with truth. and good advice, though i suspect that we all have to learn this in our way, we all have to trek those dark alleys in order to be able to appreciate the sun.

    just fabulous.

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    1. Thanks so much. I wrote this for a lost young lady - I realize in retrospect I also wrote it for myself in a way.

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  2. Anonymous12:46 PM

    There's so uch truth in what you say; I especially liked this stanza:
    Every moment spent in regret
    is another mile away from
    the joy of the moment.

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    1. It's so hard to be here now. Thanks.

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  3. There's really sound advice in this message. No matter how bad we may feel, the feeling will pass and we'll find those better days.

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    1. Thanks, and yes, all things must pass.

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  4. I wish I could teach my children this - but I think the first cut is the deepest, they will never believe it gets better. So many good lines there - but I think the last two will be my motto.

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    1. Thanks, Marina. Yes, there is always sunlight somewhere, just gotta find it.

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  5. Every moment spent in regret
    is another mile away from
    the joy of the moment.

    so true...and there is always sunshine...we forget that in the moment of our pain...when we think the world is over and there are no possibilities for us...wise poem my friend...

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    1. Thanks, my brother. The moment of pain can just blot out everything else.

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  6. Brudda mine, I can only bask in the reflected glow of this glorious poem. Your willingness to "stand in the shoes" of women, to admit that you've been led on, too... things like that show of vulnerability set you apart from so many poets. You empathize with women, which is a big part of what makes you a good man.

    I've done the unrequited love thing (we used to call it "Hard up for" someone) and it does suck the big one. Also, the inevitable cliches that follow the tracks of your broken romance like poodles, annoying and yappy, I've had happen. Sometimes, all you need is a hug and an "I'm here for you."

    This is a stellar piece with a brill ending. LOVED it. Ameleh

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    1. Your praise gave me a big smile. Much love and thanks Ameleh!

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  7. Those crumbs of attention I so relate to. Wonderful write about the pain of love.

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    1. You too, huh? Thanks, all that pain had to have been worth it somehow. :)

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  8. Anonymous3:34 PM

    It seems that looking forward is a Universal Key solution but the path is always much harder to navigate..at least for most people.. I think...anyway love the insights feeling from your words...

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  9. Anonymous5:05 PM

    loved the poem and the message within..must confess this is something i needed to read today..thanks for sharing your wisdom~

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    1. Then I'm glad you found me today, thanks!

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  10. I love your "every moment spent in regret" stanza. It is a truth bomb in the middle of a minefield of wise words.

    http://www.kimnelsonwrites.com/2013/08/20/transformation-2/

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    1. Thanks, that's generally a way I try to live this life - no regrets.

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  11. This is so beautiful..wrapped in pain, love and regret..and perhaps healing But, sometimes that sunshine is hard to find when your eyes are filled with tears.

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    1. So true - that's a great image: eyes too filled with tears to see the sun. Thanks.

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  12. Anonymous3:07 AM

    A knowing and telling write on unrequited love...been there, done that...but your poem does give succor and hope...and all is wiped away with a requited love. Nicely done, Mosk xoxo ~jackie~

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    1. Succor and hope, I love that. Thanks.

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  13. I wish your words had been around to comfort me in all my years of searching for Mr. Right. I really like:

    Although the scar is permanent,
    and it gives the unblemished heart
    the nobility of experience and character,
    the pain is temporary.

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    1. Thanks, I was trying to soothe a broken heart, just didn't know it was mine - thanks!

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  14. you manage to not be maudlin and instead comforting and sensible. nice write, Buddah ~ M

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    1. Thanks so much - it's easy to slip into maudlin!

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  15. Maudlin wears like a tight pair of pants. You seem comfortable in your work. I find a sense of it here as well. Nice to read you, Buddah!

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    1. Thanks, and I am never comfortable in a tight pair of pants.

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  16. Oh.My.Goodness. I must re-read this one a few times. Sooo much to love, here. Buddah. I weep. You've just said all I would hope to ever say as I tried wrapping my head around the whoosh of emotion that came over me when I read the prompt at Poetic Bloomings on Sunday...

    Oh, Buddah. Hugs to you for putting into words what my heart couldn't say. <3

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    1. Thanks, as you've put into words what I couldn't say many times before, I'm glad to return the favor.

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  17. I love this! I want to save it and put it away for my daughter.

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    1. Thank you - I'm honored by the thought.

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  18. Anonymous5:02 PM

    Some great lines here.

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