Watershed

Watershed 8/6/2014

It can be overwhelming

The heavy burden of being

As the weight of time grows

With every agonizing loss.

Food will lose its taste

And every pleasure becomes a bore

As you see the pitiful results

Of mindless horror. 

Storms come

And the wind drives by

But it passes
just like every day before.

When the sun hurts your eyes

Then you live in darkness

And when it hurts to smile

You curl up in bed. 

Shrinking you inwards

As your heart atrophies

Until you no longer desire

To rise or try. 

Pain hurts

And that’s why we avoid it

But the opposite is not the numbness

That I sought, will all my heart. 

We seek the numbness

Only because, it masks the fear

As we shuffle like zombies

On our way to the end. 

It has killed many

And it will kill many today

As we shrink from life

One nod at a time. 

Our arms become a weight

And mind retreats

Avoiding everything

And everyone. 

Giving up

And giving in

We become as driftwood

Washing up

Dead, bleached, and brittle.  

If you have felt it

Then you understand

How it feels to be happy

And crushed along the way. 

When no effort can awaken

The dead parts of the self

Then you know you are wasted,

Impotent and friendless.

But the dread of the day

Is only dread

And the fear of loss

Is only fear. 

Nothing more than a day dream

And nothing more than feeling

No different than anticipation

And joy. 

Children still smile

And true friends remain

As we learn to appreciate

The sparking jewels

Of unexpected blessings. 

Fall on me

And wash away the past

As we throw our heads back

In laughter. 

Here is the gem

And now is the time

As we learn to smile

With nothing but faith

And promise.