Monday, August 15, 2022

I Thought We Were

To friends departed too early

I thought we were endless,
raging against the night,
laughing life in the face,
and running...

I thought we were shameless,
masters of our indolence,
wasting time like we owned it,
and yawning...

I thought we were spotless,
dazzling and daring,
dreaming of one day,
and dashing...

I thought we were painless...

I thought we were later:
first grandparents,
then parents,
then us...

I thought we were future,
till the past piled on,
today slipped by,
and now…

I think we are naked,
humbled and defenseless,

standing in the wind, and bowing,
seeing for the first time our culling

what remains of us, scattered
and huddled, and hoping…

Originally posted on Friday, October 05, 2007

3 comments:

katy said...

my dear, this is terribly sad, yet at the same time, somehow triumphant... it's inspiring. but with a coast... i imagine young men, strong and brave and carefree faced with war, and see them trembling and scared all of a sudden... and the rebirth that comes from that fear... for those who make it through. very powerful work dear. very very powerful.

Russell Ragsdale said...

Time has a way of redefining thing so that were sad to have looked again and seen them honestly sometimes. Yes this is quite powerful!

Anonymous said...

I think we are naked,
humbled and defenseless,

standing in the wind, and bowing,
seeing our feet for the first time, and culling

what remains of us, scattered
and huddled, and hoping…


Oof... powerful.
I gave up trying to understand death and its realm a long time ago...