Freezing:
The snow falling inside the house through the broken windows . . .
A frozen lake in the bath-tub and the toilet . . .
Frozen socks hung up to "dry" the night before . . .
Refugees huddled in the "heated" room
Hiding out with the enemy,
Powerless, in a house that is silent, dark, and cold
Sleeping memories awaken at a brother's pain
Childhood unresolved, forgiveness denied,
Understanding . . . . withheld --
Frozen.
Lost in the dark timber, where the deer roam wild,
Along with PaPaw's beast, the "GallyWampus" who devours
Hapless children who gaze too long into his single eye . . .
In the black, back forty, where bearings are lost,
And the sun can only be seen
From the top . . . of the tallest tree . . .
When we were young, we climbed that tree, and found our way back,
Found our way "home" . . .
We stayed warm without a fire,
And found ways to pass the time.
Together we managed to eat, when there was no food,
And to be kind, when there was no kindness . . . .
All we have now are memories;
Different memories of the same childhood,
Reminding us we survived, but separating us,
From who we are now, who we were then,
Or who we remember . . . .
We are older.
We have faced the pain and the questions;
Together and separately.
Different pain
Separate questions.
I am not hiding any answers from you . . . .
I don't know what happened.
I don't know why things are so difficult.
Or, it it simply because we know today what we didn't know then?
That every day we face the monster in the dark;
That every day we have to find our way home,
And that every day when we look back . . .
We have to remember . . .
Not to gaze too long . . . .
