Have you returned
Ever
Or is this shell before me
But an empty
Vessel,
Which waves of time
Have carried to the shore?
/
In the storms
You’ve weathered
Have you been able to preserve
From certain
Drowning
Your heart – your precious gift,
Your heavy burden?
/
Sleeping with Death
Nightly
I fear you may have found
In her calm eyes
The peace and quiet, which
Unlike me,
Would never let you go?
/
Can you even
Hear me,
Standing before me as you are:
Callously smiling
At questions, which to you
Must sound
Pathetic and naïve?
/
I listen,
I listen…
And only wish I had for you
A soothing answer:
Can’t say the words
You wait and want
From me:
/
I have returned,
Truly,
As much of me, that is,
As there remains,
But, surely, much it is not
And none of it
Is good
/
No ropes, no anchors,
No sails
And no one at the helm
To steer it,
That’s me, the vessel, which at last
Has found this beautiful,
Long-dreamed-of port
/
The vessel’s vaults
Are all empty;
Not even rats now lurk across
Its rotten insides,
Where no one enters,
Save for winds
And ghosts
/
Its cannons
Are quiet
But painful to behold,
Like memories,
Too wild and full-blooded
To ever loose themselves
Amongst the rest
/
Forgive me for coming
Back:
I only did because
When I had left you, I promised
I would return,
And you promised
To wait
/
Yes,
I remember:
‘I promise to return,’ you said,
And I replied that
I would wait for you forever;
The words, the love, the hope
The good intentions…
/
All – wet gunpowder in the stores
Of life;
Small rescue rafts, too light
For real seas;
I prayed for you – you know? – through every day,
Shuddered in fear – you hear? – through every night
While I’ve been waiting –
Yes, I am waiting still
***
The original ‘I Promise’ is here: https://sixthsymph.com/2012/06/27/i-promise/
This is a beautiful piece. The flow and the allusion work perfectly.
Thank you for reading, Carl! I love to hear your feedback on my writing!