The old man who lives across the road
Is standing on the bridge.
He looks as if he's searching the flowing water below
For something he's forgotten.
Some precious debris he should know,
A piece of the past dislodged from memory and time
Flowing back to where it belongs.
He raises his head and smiles at me,
A smile of broken porcelain,
half grin, half grimace.
The veins on his forehead trace a river
As fluid and delicate as the water below.
I see traces of my own memories in that pattern.
His smile is vague but his eyes are a secret blue.
They trace the history of his world
Unerringly to the beginning
To the genesis of this moment,
To the time when he was limber and could float through the air
With one leap and land as sure footed as a cat.
There's something sad about broken porcelain
When it has lost its shine,
it's strength
And purpose.
I stand beside him.
Together we watch the rippling surface.
-
Author:
A.F. Ferre (Pseudonym) (
Offline) - Published: March 30th, 2020 02:11
- Category: Unclassified
- Views: 17
Offline)
Comments3
HOLA ARTURO ~ BRIAN AQUI ! Buenas Dias - Gracias for la tu Poems Segundo es muy buena ! Several Poets on MPS have likened LIFE to a Flowing River good analogy also broken porcelain. We are surviving pero London esta Muerte ! I like OZ but it is very diffent from Spain. Espania tiene mucha Cultura - Arte - Musica - Comida y Vino especialamente Rioja Tinta. El Padre d*Angela es Espanol y Un Distribuidor del Vino ~ Habita en Essex UK. Angela es mi Esposa de una Semana ! Ella esta una Fisiotherapa ! Please check our Poem for today *Inner Peace & Kindness*. Please excuse my Spanish but I like to Practice. Claudelle is Spanish & Lives in Texas USA.
Benediciones y Paz y Alegria
Con amor ~ Brian y Angela 💛💛💛
Ola Brian y Angela, I wish I could answer fully in spanish , lo entiendo pero me questa hablar en espanol porque llebo desde los tres anos en australia. Yo he regresado tres veces a espana,hace quatro anos estuvimos en espana. Aun tengo familia en madrid y en barcelona, por lo tanto, conoco la vid ay la cultura en varios regiones de espana. Thank you for your message and your nice comments, stay well, Arturo
There's a sadness to this poem, as sad as "broken porcelain." I related to the passing of life like that "flowing water' and the memories in "the history of his world." The future looks bleak, absent the love of days gone by. This well written piece painted a sad but moving experience. I guess, in a sense, this scene becomes universal. Thoroughly enjoyed it. - Phil A.
Thank you Phil, as you say, sad, but I hope, poignant, which may be why you see it as more universal: I feel we all need to find more empathy in sharing someone else's sadness and acceptance ...
The smile may well be vague but he has lived his long life sand in life there are times of sadness which we all have but the smile that come shows there were good times.
Super write Arturo.
Thank you for your kind words, that's very true, glad you saw that...
Thank you for your kind words, that's very true, glad you saw that...
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