If I had been first, not last
And all that lay before
The past held the same
Rosy optimism of hope
Unmarred?
And memories were unaccumulated —
Like journal pages white,
No pain or diminished expectations
In sight.
But all these moments instead
Litter the hills like haunted houses
Rising ebenezer’s to roads
Not traveled.
If I had been first, not last,
There’d be no saboteurs of foreboding joy,
Nor renegade memories
Throwing up pain like a shield
Blocking the light.
But I am not first, I am now.
And what silver lining can I
Sing for the second watch?
The second act unfolds
What redemption lies in store?
11/21/16