Cold Memories

(a true story)

It was a cold winter day in December

There were clouds gathered in the sky

 

Yet the sun was peeking through

Paul had asked me to marry him

 

For I was in the mother's way

We were having our baby in July

 

Got married by a Justice of the Peace

Upon the snowy Courthouse lawn

 

It was a day we waited for so long

My brother-in-law surprised us

 

He bought me a wedding ring

We didn't have a lot of money

 

As we were just starting out

I had a son of four years old

 

So now he would have a dad

Finally a normal family we had

 

I didn't realize that very soon

So many things would change

 

Paul went to work that day

As I went about my chores

 

We had a few good times

But soon they didn't last

 

Phone ringing constantly

Paul was hardly ever home

 

He had too many friends

Running in and out

 

I thought perhaps he'd found

Another woman to take my place

 

And then one day he came home

Quite too early from his work

 

Said we needed to talk

He was in a very big hurry

 

I could see he that was worried

He said he quit his job

 

And that people were after him

He owed the dope man money

 

He had threatened him severely

We had to pack up our things

 

Move out of our house that night

I was eight months pregnant

 

As Paul, my son and I were on the run

We stayed at different places

 

My sister's trailer on the lake

Then we headed out of town

 

After the baby was born

A tiny baby girl so sweet

 

We left the kids with friends

To keep them safe

 

I left with him that day

He was so paranoid

 

He painted our green car black

And wanted me to dye my hair

 

I know now he was going crazy

I decided I'd had enough

 

No longer would I run

So I left him at a motel

 

As I caught a greyhound bus

And headed back to my hometown

 

I was home a few days

When he called me on the phone

 

I told him you can run if you want

Not me, I'm staying here at home

 

So he said he'd come home too

I went to his mother's house

 

To wait for his arrival

When hours passed into the night

 

No sign of him in sight

Then we heard the knocking

 

The police were at the door

The officer exchange greetings

 

And then he said to me...

Your husband is in the hospital

 

He is in a coma and is barely alive

He had been in a terrible car crash

 

He had been drinking a lot of alcohol

He hit a telephone pole 110 miles per hour

 

I was devastated as so was his mother

I went to the hospital and stayed with him

 

He was in a coma for four days

Long enough to have brain damage

 

To make a long story short he survived

But he never was the same guy I knew

 

As for the drug dealer I boldly confronted him

Which I look back now and see how foolish I was

 

But he told me he would leave us alone

And believe it or not he kept his word

 

We had another daughter the following year

Five years later I divorced Paul for beating on me

 

Paul died 16 yrs later from a terrible fall

Consuming too much alcohol

Reviews

[FRANK]

This is my first true encounter with your writing, Debileah. My heart goes out to you. You gave your heart to a man who clearly never cherished it. That makes me sad.

I, too, love the form of this piece. You have effectively told a "short story" through poetry, and I find that to be amazing. Thank you so much! I am so impressed! =o)

Frank

[Silent Kim aka mizmetap..]

This is a hard one for me to comment on. I love your writing, it's always so clear and flows so nicely. In this write I think it was so personal that you just wanted to get the words out. I think it will be better written as a short story, you could add more then what you can in a poem.

As always I enjoyed reading and getting to feel all the pain you have endured throughout your life. I know it's time for your happiness to shine, girl.

[DRIVEN]

Your writing is to the point storytelling. What you went through, it seems has given you the emotions needed to tell your stories so well. I enjoy your writing, real and direct. and then my heart goes out to you at the experiences of life you had. Thank you for sharing with us.

[Imperfection]

I really do not know what I ought to write in this space.
The more I read your writings, the more I admire your resilience. It is not easy going through whatever you did ...and then not simply overcoming it but becoming stronger and better through the experience, writing for us to read this and learn from it.

As I keep saying it, you're truly an inspiration.

[Kitty Forzaken]

You have left me speechless.
This is such a story..so many twists

Wow.
Warmest regards and hugz*

Kitty~

[Pointblank]

Wow. Doesn't it feel like our lives would make soap opera's look boring? It seems yours really does. I am sure you are very wise considering all of your heartbreak. Very well written. Thank You for sharing your story.

[Lyndsay Castro]

Very good. The form and line is nice. It's inspiring to see how much you've been through, and how far you've come. Thank you so very much for sending it to me.

[QuietPoet]

This is soooo heartbreaking... Oh my goodness. You have been through so much in your life. Tears formed my eyes while reading your sad poem. Its like I felt your pain. Wow... Great write. Thanks for sharing your life story..

[Mysty Rayn]

And it's true? Bless you my dear.

[Mysty Rayn]

Wow. You write such powerful pieces. This is one of my favorites.