A Player

I miss you

you've been gone a while now

but your voice still echoes

along the byways of my mind

coloring skies of September

with melancholy hues

These days I sit alone

on an ill-lit stage

waiting for a stagehand

to raise the heavy curtains

and introduce the next act

starring you and me

performing lonely soliloquies

There you sit with your back

leaning towards mine

yet just a whisper away

I hear questions asked

never answered

and answers to questions

never asked

Sometimes I reply with tears

others with well rehearsed responses

I am a player still waiting

to replay yesterday

Author's Note

Graphic credit: Bing Images

Reviews

[icelandicblue]

Oh I couldn't help but think that All the world's a stage, And all the men and women merely players. Your poem rewinds but what it wants to to is rewrite. Sometimes we get stuck in that loop of the past and we always leave saturated with disappointment. I found your imagery to be really strong and wanted a different ending for you even though I knew it was not to be.

[Joyce S. Greene]

Thanks, Anne, for your very thoughtful review. If only it were possible to redo a scene from our past (after rehearsing a bit) and have everything turn out OK.

[Kai Rollins]

If Bing Images caused this...that's amazing. But anyways.
Performing lonely soliloquies
Drew a beautiful (anddd also saddening) image in mind. Thanks for the read

[Joyce S. Greene]

Thanks for reading and reviewing my poem, Kai. I appreciate your very kin words.

[Lyn Anderson]

This is a really nice piece about regret and longing, and wondering what if I had done such and such. Don't we all ...

[Joyce S. Greene]

Thanks, KL. Yes, we all have our regrets and, hopefully, can let them go and move forward without the bonds of the past holding us back. I appreciate hearing your thoughts very much.

[Gleb Zavlanov]

This was a truly beautiful, melancholy piece, rimmed with sorrow yet spellbinding greatness. Indeed, all of life is a stage, and love a play.

I found these lines particularly appealing:

I hear questions asked
never answered
and answers to questions
never asked

[Joyce S. Greene]

Thanks again, Gleb. You are a good friend.

[Gleb Zavlanov]

Thank you for your kind reviews and replies.

[Eddie Phillips]

There is a quiet meditation in this poem. It speaks about the moments when the person you miss occupies your mind. Those moments can feel lonely and yet we need them to either move on or reconcile the relationship. Just beautiful..

[Joyce S. Greene]

Thank you, Eddie. Your kind thoughts mean a lot to me.

[PANTHER]

"well rehearsed" scenarios in our minds never coming to fruition as the act fades to black. The abundance here is not of hope, yet in the distance a light, no matter how dim. Time and ink well spent in this write Joyce. Tom

[Joyce S. Greene]

Thanks, Tom. Your words warm my heart.

[MsJewel]

Such a sad poem Joyce and yet so beautifully written..
I could feel the pain and the loneliness in your words. You have touched my heart with this one my friend.
:) Julie

[Joyce S. Greene]

Thank you, Julie. I really appreciate your reviews. It's getting very late (I have to be up at 5), so I'll be reading poetry either tomorrow night or as soon as I can and I'm looking forward to reading more of yours. I loved the one about snow and am pleased it made it to the top of the Most Popular List. Congratulations!

[Sami Khalil]

This is saturated with sadness and melancholy on the world or lover's stage from one act to the next unravelling the true meanings of things , raising heavy weights from souls , rehearsing for the next challenge of it all...A great write...:).....................

[Joyce S. Greene]

Thank you, Sami. I very much appreciate your reading my words and leaving such insightful comments. They mean a lot to me.

[Sami Khalil]

My pleasure...Any time...:)................

[Clara]

I was captivated from the start - I hate missing people and wishing for the 'next act'.

This poem touched my heart in a way I am not sure how to describe.
All I know is that all the words are beautiful and that I feel them.

My heart broke at the end though:
'Sometimes I reply with tears
others with well rehearsed responses'

A poignant write, Joyce.
You made the feelings so tangible for me.

[Joyce S. Greene]

Thank you, Lola. You express your emotions so beautifully in your poetry, and I am pleased that you found my poem moving. I have a harder time at showing my inner feelings - probably why I do mostly tanka nowadays which is a much more constricted format than free verse. I really appreciate your reading and reviewing my words - I always look forward to hearing from you.

[Clara]

You are most welcome, you are such a versatile writer! You can write about funny things, sad things and about everyday things... which is something I hope to achieve one day. :) I understand what you mean about having a hard time showing your inner feelings but I think you captured it perfectly in this poem. One of my favourites. Thank you so much for sharing.

[Joyce S. Greene]

Thank you, Lola. I hadn't noticed that you'd put it in your library before. My mind doesn't function as well as it once did. I very much appreciate your friendship.

[Clara]

Hahaha, that's okay. It's for my reading pleasure entirely!
I appreciate your friendship also -- it's wonderful knowing people you can relate to. :)

[Angi]

Joyce, this piece is so sad and lonely. I could picture her on that dark stage, whispering and thinking back. I could see her crying and answering silent questions. The way you wrote this is very different and I really like coming across that. Very nicely done. Angi~

[Joyce S. Greene]

Thank you, Angi. This and quite a few of the other poems I've been posting here on WC were written a few years ago when I did free and metered verse. Lately I've been doing almost exclusively tanka. My muse is elusive at best nowadays and I love the interaction with poets that you can get here on WC so I post the poems I think most people would like reading. I'm very glad you liked this one. Thank you for the very nice review.

[Angi]

You are so welcome.

[Coyote Poetry]

"Sometimes I reply with tears
others with well rehearsed responses
I am a player still waiting
to replay yesterday"
A sad and beautiful poem. The heart always want what it shouldn't have. I like the way you led the reader to the strong ending. The above closing lines is all we got. Thank you for the excellent poetry.
Coyote

[Joyce S. Greene]

Thank you, Coyote. Your words mean a lot to me and I appreciate your reading and reviewing my work very much.