Some more poetry.... From 1973 this time

Ok... since you've all been so kind to me (and my writing) so far... I went to the 'box', that box I've kept all sorts of writing tidbits in over the years and selected a couple of things from 1973.

Interesting year that was, reorienting myself to civilian life, losing love, finding love, losing it yet again. In some ways I remember life being simpler then. I do know that it's probably a trick of the mind, but, it does seem simpler in memory, than it was in reality.

I can read some of the things I've written from then and see I was in a 'sea' of emotions..... well hopefully you'll see too.

This first piece was written during one of those beginning romances, you know, where you're beginning to have 'feelings', but, you're not entirely over the hurt(s) from the past and you wrangle with yourself...

Lost Love of Youth

April showers fall.
Thinking of you.

So thin, and tall.
Is it love, again?

Those gentle kisses.
Your warm touch.

Beyond my fondest wishes.
Just one more?

Could this happen to me?
That soft look in your eye.

I wanted to be free.
You snatched me from my shell.

Now I must decide.
Can I, love you?

Feeling like I should hide.
I'm scared, of what?

Things would have been easier.
If only I'd, cried.

This next piece is something I wrote for an English class, it's an account of my thoughts after a fire onboard ship. It was intentionally short as the assignment was to relate an experience as well as possible in as few words as possible.

The walls still too hot to touch, the air hazed with smoke.

Men drifting about, drinking coffee, talking of interrupted dreams.

The dead are not mentioned, clanging bells still ring in the ears of close friends.

Charred and black remains disguise what once was.

Evening closes with the banging of lockers and the knowledge that by morning,

Most will be forgotten.

Well.... now that I've brought you all down a bit, the lesson here is that not all 'down' periods last forever.

Life is, I've found, a never ending cycle of ups and downs. It’s periods of relative calm, followed by 'manic minutes', resolutions and a return to calm once again. Sometimes the calm lasts for weeks or months, at other times the craziness seems to outweigh the calm and resolutions appear few, and inadequate. Somehow though, we all get through each crisis, one crisis at a time and move on.

One of the strangest things to me, is that later, months, often years later, we find ourselves remembering those 'crisis' times as "the good old days". In many cases, even feeling they were the "Glory Days".

So, with that in mind, I'm here to tell you that "these" are the good old days. Right here, right now... enjoy them!! And please, always try to remember... "The ride *is* the destination!"