Early morning
stuck at my desk.
Combing through endless emails.
Most of which have little meaning to me.

Then to the conference room
for yet another meeting.
What's the newest policy
that will bore my soul to tears?

A voicemail from Bob in marketing.
In that shrill and grating voice.
Angry that something was incomplete,
even though I'd actually done it.

In an after lunch performance review,
I float adrift in a sea of numbers.
Slowly tuning out the voice of a boss,
who never bothered to learn my kids names.

Five o'clock comes and I clock out.
Thinking of what little I accomplished,
and resigning myself to the fact,
I have to do it all again tomorrow.

The other day I saw
some red rose petals
slowly floating along a shallow creek.

I sat down on a nearby log
just to take in the peacefulness
of it all.

And in that moment I was reminded,
of where the beauty lies in life.

I woke up all alone in the morning,
with an empty spot on the bed.
Your car was not in the driveway,
a thousand thoughts entered my head.

I found none of your clothes in the closet,
and none of your shoes on the floor.
The fridge was almost cleaned out,
an empty hat rack sat near the door.

The TV is in the main room as always,
but the Playstation 4 is MIA.
I never thought I'd end up in this moment.
I never thought it'd happen this way.

There's nothing but a wall, cold and barren
where all your sports stuff used to be.
This hallway is desolate and sterile,
only filled with the pieces of me.

Broken, I went back to the bedroom,
and I sat in a corner to weep.
The tears came down like a rain storm,
and I wished that I was still sound asleep.

How exactly does a Cannibal decide
who becomes his next meal?

It is so very easy
To get swept away
In the chaotic flow of the ocean.

The tides aren't always pleasant
and much danger lurks in the deep.

But it is my hope
that even though the water
can be turbulent.

You never forget
how much you love to swim.

Do you recall the day the towers fell?

I remember it clearly. The pain, so well.

People running, a cascade of tears.

A nation gripped by anger, fears.

Heartbreak and sorrow, when terror spoke.

Freedom and honor, engulfed in smoke.

But when it cleared, Old glory there.

Waving defiantly in the air.

The body mimicking what the heart feels?

A doorway to love and affection?

A brief moment of wonder in an otherwise joyless life?

A child's way of saying: "I'm okay"?

Another way to mask the pain?

Or perhaps, the subtle beginnings of happiness?