The Garden Of Tears

He practiced disdain for mankind. Never giving himself to another. Closed away his heart and mind.

 

Near the road a cemetery bloomed

in the ancient noon day light

An old man stood to his task

of tending graves each night

 

He had spent his youth working

too afraid to spend emotion

Took all he could from everyone

but gave no love to the devotion

 

Romance was not his forte

he practiced disdain for mankind

Hardly giving love to another

closed away his heart and mind

 

Thinking life to be a race

he had pushed his way along

Took from the world no pleasure

he whistled but heard no song

 

Now retired and long lived

he thought himself to be paid

To have outlived all the others

was reward for plans he'd made

 

As he looked to stones he tended

for all those he'd known in life

An old dream ached in his chest

for words written to his wife

 

She had once been his true love

the only one he had known

Lost to another in his youth

he was aged, but never grown

 

Now his tears water her grave

stones of family, oh so few

The dreams of lost love fading

wonders of life he never knew

 

Called to rest some time ago

he lies cold among his peers

A shadow on winter's night

walks the graveyard of his tears

 

 

Author's Note

What is a life for? If we cower from truly living are the extra years truly living?

Reviews

[Jenny Nelson]

So sad. Really well expresses the regret that's nearly guaranteed to come if we don't live the life we've been given. Lonliness and emptiness are well conveyed,

[Dillon Cotter]

the picture above really helps and motivates your poem even more, captivating a picture and idea in our heads as we all read.

-Will

[MNeilsen]

Once again you have painted a vivid picture. This of a tortured soul who finally realizing all that he lost putting money before all else. Thank you for recommending this.

[Georgia Gypsy]

Emotionally moving piece.
caught my attention and pulled me into the sad story of this persons wasted life.....
a lesson here to be learned!
:)

[deeps]

Such deep emotion poured out in this
I can feel the hurt and sadness
Very well expressed. Well written.

[Sagela]

This was an interesting, sad, but a raw poem that really speaks and teaches a lesson to those who tuck their emotions away. Great job on this one.

[An owl on the moon]

So beautifully bittersweet with a profound message of love lost, and living in the loss as well. Haunting revelations of choices we can make as we walk this path of life.

[Aiden- Aiko- Kiyomi]

WOOO! Finally. I love this poem. It has that element that just adds an "aura" to the poem. Thank you. I love the twist at the end. Good luck in the contest.

[Nancy Lee Shrader]

Congrats on your great winning poem!

[LisetteCanWrite!]

Oh this was so deeply moving and sad.. I could sooo feel this! I related in the sense that when my own father's marriage failed.. he never fell in love again.. he was so in love with my mother he was deeply torn at their splitting up.. he remained single from 1977 until he died in 2001.. he only tried dating once in between which didn't work out! I used to pray that he would find someone to love.. to let other things go and find happiness for himself.. it never happened.. this is what I felt kind of here! The last stanza fit perfectly as well.. loved the flow, rhythm and rhyme.. and while we all say we want that eternal love.. if we found it at the very highest level.. I ponder.. would we all feel like this after??? Could we recover from such a huge fall.. Thank you so much! =)