PostPoems Be Artistic. Be Creative. Be Inspired!

The next time a natural disaster strikes…whether it be a tsunami or

hurricane from the oceans, a flood from the rivers…or a tornado from the skies 

notice how, all over the world, you see the same sadness…

the same sorrow, the same tears in everybody’s eyes.

And when we kill each other because of our differences…

our different countries, different lifestyles, the different Gods in whom we believe…

at the funeral of those we’ve killed…or who’ve killed us…

notice….how similar we all grieve.

When a bomb or a bullet kills a baby…whether in Palestine or Tel-Aviv

notice, as you watch the mothers at the funerals,

how similar they all grieve.

All the tears we cry are the same…

whether it’s a natural disaster…or an unnatural disaster we create…

no matter our religion, our politics…if we are gay…or we are straight.

Grieving is universal…it’s something we all share…

in every corner of the world…both near and far….

I only wish….

before the funerals…

we’d realize

how similar we are.

 On the beach of the island where we love to take a morning walk…

there…down by the sea…

all alone looking out at the ocean stands an old red mangrove tree.

Over the years she has weathered a multitude of storms…

that have left her branches contorted and a little deformed.

I suppose when I stop and think about it…she is a lot like me

and why this sentinel of the beach is a treasured and favorite tree.

We heard the hurricane…as she departed our island

took the entire beach with her back to the sea….

And with it, we’re afraid, our favorite red mangrove tree.

With a hurricane that took so many lives and homes as she barreled in from the sea

Why, you may wonder, are we upset over one old red mangrove tree?

Because when this storm hit Florida and then up into the country she marched through

every person, pet, house and possession lost…was someone’s favorite too.

So many people are grieving today…over losing a loved one, a house

their favorite photos. pet or teddy bear….

Someone or something special to them…that, today, is no longer there.

It’s an individual and collective grief…brought upon us from this monster of the sea….

symbolized today…by one old red mangrove tree.

The hour of dread, with soft paws and long whiskers,
Nears its cruel crescendo, as the twilight bleeds
Into darkened silence. Green eyes, orbs of emerald,
Hold galaxies of grief, as if understanding
The inevitable decision, kind but unbearable.

Mr Kitty, you’ve stalked shadows and sunbeams,
In this house of loving dreams. Now,
The shadow looms larger and devours the light.
Your purrs, once symphonies in the quiet night,
Diminish, a tremor in the cold winter air.

Cancer gnaws at you, a voracious ghost,
A dark star in the velvet sky of your mouth,
While I, the unwilling god, hold the power
To halt your descent into the abyss,
Yet tremble at the gravity of our goodbye.

How does one render mercy, when mercy
Is a sharpened blade? The decision, a bitter promise,
Etched in the ledger of love and loss.
I choke on the syllables of farewell,
My heart a shattered vessel.

You, in your tuxedo coat, an elegant spectre,
Press against my hand, unaware of time's cruelty.
I search for solace in your calm as if
You’ve found peace in the acceptance,
Of a fate that I cannot fathom.

This difficult choice, a merciful surrender,
To spare you immeasurable pain,
The indignity of losing autonomy,
A kindness carved from sorrow,
To preserve the dignity that you deserve.

Forgive me, Mr Kitty, for playing god
In this charade of mercy and despair.
Know that love has carved this path,
And in the twilight of our shared existence,
Your memory will burn, unquenchable, real and eternal.

As the final hour approaches, know I’ll hold you close,
A lifeline in the storm of sorrow.
Your green eyes, lanterns of ancient wisdom,
Guide me through the darkness, whispering
That release is not an end, but a gentle beginning.