A Lesson Learned

How kind her teared eyes that hid the truth; from the lips that would never confess.

 

Rode the train with my girl today

across the barn swept hollows

Past lush fields of emerald green

with the life and love that follows

 

The train car tapped out a lullaby beat

which spent our time lost in leisure

The smiles past came by with the peace

life's sweet gifts we couldn’t measure

 

A man had set across the aisle of us

he seemed so different from me

Clothes tattered, torn and weathered

homeless and likely worn hard was he

 

I couldn’t help but to take the notice

his features hewn and deeply lined

Drawing a map of where he'd been

red eyed he looked half blind

 

Something alone in his vacant stare

said It was me that he resembled

The thought had taken me a-fright

I looked hard, long and trembled

 

I saw my lover look over him too

noticed the hair might be the same

Except for straggling beard and decay

I had felt a deep sense of shame

 

Could that be what would happen to me

what fallen angel had led him astray

A nightmare vision of life’s full truth

eyes of pain in the heart they betray

 

Then my lover looked back upon me

her thoughts she sought hard to repress

How kind those teared eyes that hid the truth

from her lips that would never confess

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Author's Note

An introspective mirror of myself.

Reviews

[Shelly Braen]

This piece holds unmaginable beauty! The seasoned timelessness of such a beautiful, yet solomn journey through the eyes of such a man, yet the thought that they might be yor own looking back at you from the differences of eras. How could a person be more beautiful than the man sat in front of you. Wonderful! Simply wonderful!

[Sheila Marie Carr]

Wow! Tate that blew me away, I could really imagine the story that you told in a poem. If so many of us would take a closer look at ourselves, we may find that we are not so different...very heartfelt.

[bluessadmood]

You know my friend how lots and lots I pass by these less fortunate people..
Strangely I feel so at peace in their presence..to me they picture the hard way
that Life could turn in somebody face..with some life could be never that easy
I am sure that man had seen some really ugly face of life..yet these people
knows life so well,and they usually are so kind so many heartbreaks and aches
that will leave him feel all the kindness and sympathy no one ever could feel
I know that for I ve seen them a lot ,talked to them a lot..loved them a lot
they are like my people ,my brothers in life,I could feel them so well
lovely write

[LisetteCanWrite!]

I found this incredibly sad.. a very poor self-reflection as well as quick judgement. In all of life I have learned not to judge others based on appearances.. I still do from time to time as I felt in this piece here.. feeling sympathy for the old man... when in fact there is no solid foundation to feel it other than your portrayal. I loved that this piece REALLY made me think.. a memory came to me of someone my family knew who appeared poorer than poor.. that was incredibly wealthy! This man sits on a train.. no one knows of his destination.. he may be tired but going on vacation or to visit family.. you still find a resemblance in sadness .. when he may in fact have a great destination! Just as you have your own journey.. only time will tell where anyone will be.. I have had these moments.. then feel very guilty for passing such judgements.. which are human.. I try to treat all on the same level.. as we all truly come into this world and leave it with nothing anyways! It's simply what we do in between that counts.. It certainly is good to reflect, have fear, a conscious.. something tells me you will do better than fine! ;)

[cquig]

I really love this poem. I was feeling a bit amped when all I wanted was some calm. Your poem did this to me, even though parts were sad. It evoked the perfect stillness my mind needed! Thank you and soooooo well done.
Damn, I love when a poem touches me like this.

[Kaylee Andurs]

So many of your poems are about the less fortunate. You must have a soft spot in your heart for them. Yes we could all be like them, it's all in the choices we make. Some of don't look like a soul that is down trodden but inside that is exactly who we are. Well done.

[Sagela]

Wow that is a scary thought about how somebody looks at another and sees themselves. That sounds like my drawings of people when I draw. This is a very deep self-image poem. I like it.

[J]

well done self-study in deceptively lilting cadence. it is good to imagine a different turn of life and be humbly grateful for what we have.

nice work.
j

[Nancy Lee Shrader]

Congrats on your great winning poem!

[Siddartha Beth Pierce]

Chilling - truly - gave me chills - the mark of a very strong write. This is exquisite. Beautiful, definitely I agree with you introspective - philisophical and extremely moving. Well done. Send it out!
Light,
Siddartha

[GAN almighty]

indeed, this is a good one.
i like the way it invokes or makes the reader reflect on himself, as well.