Photos of the kids running through the sprinkler,
Blowing bubbles,
Chasing our Aussie…
Captions you assign
Like, ‘James praying’ as
He prepares to dive and
Poop patrol—well, we know what that means.
But the one caption
You left out,
The unspoken one,
Hangs
Like a bubble
Over both our heads:
‘How long?’
© 2013, John Geddes. All rights reserved.
It would be easy
If being a mother
Were as simple
As hearts and flowers
And greeting cards—
But it isn’t.
It’s temper and tears,
Anguish and fears—
Mornings
When getting up or lying down
Makes
Little difference.
But every now and then
You look into their eyes
And realize…
Despite all the tiredness
The frustration and fights,
There is something
Of you in each of them—
And for an instant
You know real joy…
Enough to last a whole lifetime—
As long as you remember
This moment
The next time you feel sad.
© 2013, John Geddes. All rights reserved.
You and I
With child,
Have made one perfect thing.
Now, the mind lays track
Into the winter grayness
On a voyage
To a new beginning.
And it goes as a train
Without understanding.
And if it derails
Or shunts the night,
Or a whole series of nights,
It is of no consequence…
For you and I
With child,
Have made one perfect thing
Of our lives.
© 2013, John Geddes. All rights reserved.
When I think of you
I see a rosy blur
Of holly berries and bird cherries…
As lovely as the setting sun.
I don’t take our love for granted-
I throw your heart ahead of me
In the battle for each day,
To be requited,
To win your respect,
And hopefully possess your love.
© 2013, John Geddes. All rights reserved.
Out on the lawn,
Flat on our backs,
Hoping to see
A falling star’s track.
The stars of our youth
So far, so high,
Rain down upon us
With scarcely a sigh.
And all of our hopes
And burning bright dreams,
Fall out of heaven
By God’s stern decree.
The stars that you fashioned
For each child you bore
Are fallen as well
And hanging no more.
So what have we learned
From heaven’s bright scene?—
That the brightest of diamonds
Are but pieces of dreams.
Inspired by the Perseid Meteorite shower of August 12, 2011
© 2013, John Geddes. All rights reserved.