Lost Words©

It was only later
After seeing him hooked up to a ventilator

That I realized what he had said
And a reflection came that I would later retread

For deep down inside I always knew
That my dad was there for me as I grew

He was harsh and intense on occasion
Some would even call it abrasion

But there was that other side
When we were alone me along for the ride

He did his duty as a father
Bringing home the bacon with little bother

But the lessons taught
Were what I bought

How to strive
To stay alive

To be the best I can be
For all to see

Have kindness for my fellow man
Help wherever I can

Be a father to a son
Be there to protect everyone

Give a care
If you dare

That tomorrow will be a better day
When you get ego out of the way

As I sit here to lament
I recall those lost words he had repent

After waiting all those long years
And though he is long gone they still bring me tears

Those lost words you ask “I love you…”

Andreas Simic©

The Glimpse©

As he rode down the escalator
Eyes upon the next step
Caution on his mind
The throng of people
Surrounding him like a fence
Something told him to look up
Was it an inkling
Was it intuition
Was it a premonition
Was it fate
But look up he did
And in that moment their eyes met
It was a mere seconds of a lifetime
But they were both transfixed
He going down
She coming up
A passing of two strangers
Eyes locked
Was this a flight of fancy
Or the real thing
He would never know
For she was gone around the corner
And he was on his way to work
Destiny would have to prevail
Someday but not today

Andreas Simic©

At Sea II©

The start of an ocean voyage starts like life; fresh and new
And best served with a brew

The shoreline disappearing from view and star bright
Replacing the street lights fading fast into the night

The seas are calm in that cove as you leave a safe haven
Moving past that beacon with an escort from a raven

The gulls fly overhead their wings spread wide to catch the breeze
And the shrill of their screech fills the air as they escort you out to a distant somewhere

Soon we are alone at sea, no shoreline indicating safety
There is comfort and a strange sense of calm and serenity

But as time passes and the storms roll in
Rough seas are a sure thing

The waves pound the sides of our boat and
Swales high and low remind us we are quite remote

There is no way to swim to shore and a long way to the ocean floor
We say a prayer for all on board and listen to the roar

Our thoughts turn to those back ashore, family, friends, and others galore
And through it all there is hope that we are not a dope for being on a boat

As quickly as gale force winds came they are no longer found
And the smell of ocean air fills our lungs as we look around

Maybe getting there is worth the wait
To make that journey far and wide we shouldn’t hesitate

Instead of cowering inside and avoiding the ride
We should embrace her like a bride

And then it is there for all to see, land ** I say with such glee
Safe harbor has returned to me

Andreas Simic©

The Blame Game©

I am irate, I want to be angry.
Something has set me off
And I want someone to be responsible
To be the target of my rage

I just want to let loose
To vent this unexplained feeling
It is like a storm that has brewed
And now like a tornado wants to become a twister

To unleash that which has been pent up
Now looking for someone to ****** my energy upon
A nameless victim who doesn’t even see it coming
Who will be the benefactor of the ****** released

Likely someone who is close like a spouse or a friend
Or maybe a complete stranger
Unaware of the catalyst
That will spark this verbal assault

I just need that someone who will listen
To my frustration, my angst, my worries
Hear what I have to say and just be
The voice of reason

And as time passes
As I journal and negotiate with myself
It has begun to dissipate, to unravel
And the storm has passed

There is no one to blame
It was all part of the game.

Andreas Simic©

The Dower Flower©

It is a misty summer day, the morning rain
providing a sheen on the sidewalks
the temperature warm with the touch of a coolness

My eyes are drawn to a neatly
manicured bush with a bouquet of flowers
freshly awoken from their protective buds

I stand in awe of their beauty and the magnificence
they hold, the expression of vibrancy in their colors
The tenderness they exude softly swaying in the gentle breeze

My walk continues and our paths cross as they have many a time
She is tallish, young with usually longer blonde hair
Most would call her attractive and good looking, even statuesque

I often imagine her to be a model given the varied times of the day
that our paths have interwoven and her stylish and fashionable attire, yet in the midst of the mystique something feels asunder

There is an aloofness, a sense of unhappiness,
never a smile or a warm glow on her face
in its place I feel sadness maybe lonesomeness

My conjecture leads me to ponder and surmise
how someone so young can be so dower
she is the other flower, the dower flower

There is beauty but it is locked up inside
one day my hope is that her bud too will blossom
and she will become the flower she is meant to be

Andreas Simic©

The Flower – A Tribute ©

Thank you flower for the wonderful bouquet you present to me

Thank you flower for your fragrance
That fills the air and makes me smile

Thank you flower for allowing me touch your silkiness
And to feel beauty

Thank you flower for blessing me with your array of colors

Thank you flower being there...

On my Birthday and to count the years

On Mother’s Day to thank Mom for being Mom

On Father’s Day to be with Dad

On Valentine’s Day to let my sweetheart know I love her

On my wedding day to celebrate my relationship

To celebrate my child’s birth

At so many special occasions

Even when there wasn’t a good reason

And one last thank you,
Thank you for being there when I pass on

I know you will brighten the room
Even if it is a sad moment for those left behind

Thank you flower for making me feel better
Knowing that you will be there

Andreas Simic©

The Quandary©

Standing high on the mountain side
I take in the first breath of morning
It seems so much more refreshing here
Maybe it is the altitude that we are at

The aroma of my morning brew reaches my nostrils
The steam a reminder of the time of year
As I survey the pristine landscape my thoughts wander to home
Father would be at the farm readying for harvest

He too would be having his first cup of java
I can hear mother in the background reminding him of something
Soon he would be culling the herd for winter meat
Isn’t that what people say I do, cull

Yet for me gazing down the hillside it does not feel the same
Sure I do this with my fellow men to survive
But it feels like to me that we are taking them out in their prime
That somehow it is a travesty

Back at some headquarters they will remind that others will follow
We are only doing what needs to be done
That much good will come of what we will do today
And in that is my quandary

I see them fall some younger, some older, some not at all
Those few spared to provide seed for new generations
That last gasp is the same regardless of their age
The word “timber” signaling their death knell

That which took decades if not centuries to grow
Will be felled in a matter of minutes
The tree which has lived longer than I now dead
A seedling placed where it so proudly stood

I am a logger
But you can call me Bob

Andreas Simic©