“life” Poem by Roy Merchant

I First Met Her on the Day She Was Born
She Was Lying Down..Just Having A Rest
Gently..Trying to Focus on the Dewy Morn
Her Only Means of Survival..Her Mother's Breast

Her Mother Looked on in Wonderment
Afraid to Touch this Fragile Gift
The Child Looked on in Wonderment
Afraid to Leave this Rocklike Gift

Bonds That Last for Eternity
Instantaneously Coming to Being
First Days Going by Like Infinity
First of Many Days Child Will Be Seeing

I Looked At Her Again When She Was Two Years Old
So Confident That She Was in Control
Running Now..Jumping Now..Talking..Endlessly Bold
Future Just Something That Will Unfold

Bright Eyes Beaming..
Cheeks So Gleaming..
Eyes Just Streaming Endlessly.
Fine Teeth Showing..
No Tears Flowing..
Her Childhood Growing Relentlessly.

I Glimpsed Her Fleetingly by A Lake
I Guessed She Was No More Than Five
She Looked At Me As If There Was A Mistake
She Knew for the First Time That She Was Alive

Thrusting Now..Demanding Now
The World Was Hers..And Hers Alone
Fighting Here..Delighting There
Sitting on Daddy's Shoulder..All the Way Home

Bright Eyes Beaming..
Cheeks So Gleaming..
Eyes Just Streaming Endlessly.
Fine Teeth Showing..
No Tears Flowing..
Her Childhood Growing Relentlessly

At Sixteen She Was A Beautiful Girl
Listening to Nothing But Her Own Voice
The Meaning of Life..The Ying and the Yang
Were Too Simple to Ruffle Her Elegant Poise

I Met Her Again At Twenty Five
The First Day of the Rest of Her Life
Full of Herself and A Little Naive
Confidence Brimming..Sharp As A Knife

Contact Lens Beaming..
Hard Cheeks Gleaming..
Eyes Just Roving Endlessly.
A Capped Tooth Showing..
A Few Tears Flowing..
Her Childhood Dying Relentlessly

It Was Seven Long Years Till I Saw Her Again
Up to Her Eyeballs in Nappies and Pins
House Rent and Rate..Baby Irate..Still Numb From the Labour Pains
Her World Just Going Into An Infinite Spin

Money Was Now Her Godlike Model
Her Strategy for Survival..Just A Little Askew
Her Hopes and Dreams..In A Warren Like Muddle
No Clear Future..Just A Frightening View

Spectacled Eyes Dreaming..
Sallow Cheeks Steaming..
Aches and Pains Hurting Endlessly
False Teeth Showing..
Grey Hairs Flowing..
Her Middle Years Dying Relentlessly
Her Children Missing..
Her Lifestyle Ending..
Her Heart Just Aching Endlessly
New Clothes Not Coming..
Money...Just Going
Reality Just Hitting Her Relentlessly

'Why the Pain..Why the Long Road of Sorrow..? '
Is My Life Not Worth Any Bends..?
Oh..! for A Life of One Sweet Tomorrow..
Where Loneliness Isn't My Only Friend..'

Spectacled Eyes Not Seeing..
Gristled Cheeks Convening..
Grandchildren Growing Endlessly
False Teeth Not Fitting..
The Wig No Longer Sitting..
Coming to Terms Reluctantly
New Friendships Beginning..
Mind..No Longer Spinning..
Years Going by Relentlessly
Stairs..Getting Higher..
Exertions..Getting Rarer..
Some Good Friends Dying Unexpectantly
Armchair..So Inviting..
Sleep is So Exiting..
Seeing Family More Frequently

She Was Looking in the Mirror
In One of Her Eightieth Years
When She Recognised Me
As What She Was Trying to Find
We Held Each Other..
And We Shed A Few Tears
I..The Long Lost..
Forgotten Friend..
Was Her Peace of Mind

Epilogue.

I Was with Her on the Day That She Died
She Was Lying Down Just Having A Rest
Desperately..Trying to Focus on Life..As It's Implied
And Gently Falling..Back..Into Mother Nature's Breast.
In the End She Smiled and Said She Felt A Little Odd
Then Finally Gave Herself to God.

(Copyright - Roy Merchant)