Thursday, March 18, 2021

Move Along - poetry inspired by Elizabeth Bishop.

 

Move Along 

Those smiles intertwined with a bit of fear 

And mothers combing down that bit of hair

And fathers knowing more than a bit of cheer

And brother sweating as the tie bites his neck.


He’s done well on years of books, essays, tests

His gown is draped in ropes reserved for the best

Of the class. His smile, again, tries to be fearless.

But his eyes can barely see what’s coming next.


It’s hard to believe that it will all be gone 

In a matter of days and weeks  it will all move on.

Homeroom, Homework, HomeEc will all get along.

Then he will stay up late, sleeping way past daybreak. 


And the worries, the waterfalls ahead on this unknown

River,  the lightning strikes from clouds in blown 

From storms he knew would never have shown 

In the covered, sheltered security of his home.


They’ll come, those worries, on both sides of the day

In the morning in the long shower he’ll stay

In the night at the crevice of a book he wants to toss away

Now they’ll come, those worries will blanket him.


It’s hard to believe, through those smiles and laughs

That we all will be wishing for things of the past

In days to come, after the heat of summer’s blast

He’ll move along, alone, to a life that will be his own.

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