Remorse

the aftermath of divorce, how it affects all parties involved

Remorse

 

 

Mournful mists condense on all those years,

tracks of rain drip down the window pane,

just like our tears.

Memory sees walks along the beach,

trying to hold on to what is always

out of reach.

 

Sunny days reflect the faded smiles;

a prayer for rain might liquidate

the bitter, littered miles.

A search reveals no reason for

the rhyme;

nightmares turn to hourglasses

counting tearful time.

 

Laughter is the Spirit of the Child;

timeless frames of endless games

where every card is wild.

Wondering why his life is give-and-take;

gazing at the

lifeless leaves

that drift across the lake.

 

Solitude need not be “ever after;”

memories hold window panes,

beaches, lakes and laughter.

Futures, seldom cleanly carved in stone;

the truth is that it takes much more than brick

to build a

happy home.

 

 

riki © 2015

Reviews

[wordman]

a life lesson for many I think,out of reach,give and take
a never ending rotation of life great write

[dan]

Divorce is one phenomenon that I believe affects everyong involved differently. But it inevitably touches the children the most. Sad. Thank you for your kind words. take care...dan

[wordman]

my pleasure dan,and yes it does it hurt`s the most innocent ones

[modtoddinc]

Having been down this road twice before, (and my son was five during the second...) this poem hits close to home. I too love the leaf line, leaves are wonderful analogies and metaphors I think.

"Laughter is the Spirit of the Child;
timeless frames of endless games
where every card is wild."

for me, this is the golden nugget of hope in this excellent poem of sorrowful times.

~Peace, Todd

[dan]

Todd, Thank you. Yes divorce is traumatic to the spouse who feels wronged but particularly traumatic to children involved. Growing up with one parent instead of two CAN be brutal, unless the atmosphere before the split was so toxic it, in itself, was even more harmful. Either way the child loses a piece of self. Hopefully your son came through it better than mine did. take care...dan

[dan]

a tired tale of divorce and the toll it takes on all

[Kelly Scheppers]

It's quite a rollercoaster ride of emotion, more so when there are children involved. You wrote so eloquently, Dan...

"gazing at the
lifeless leaves
that drift across the lake."

My best,
Kelly

[dan]

Kelly, We had just transferred to Mayport, FL from Vallejo, CA and I was leaving real soon on a 6-month deployment to the Mediterranean. We moved into a condo in a development called Lakes of Mayport, which had a little lake on the property out back. My son and I were down by the lake looking for lizards when he saw a leaf floating across the lake. (He was 5 at the time) He said, "That lake reminds me of your boat crossing the sea," and hugged me, crying. I asked why and he said, "Because I'm afraid you're going to be killed instead of coming home." That's why in the poem his verse, the third, I made the leaves LIFELESS. And when I came home 6 months later I found that my wife had already effectively moved into her new boyfriend's house. Divorce! I'm still hurt by that and other things she did to me. But we all have s****y relationships in our past, so I shouldn't be talking about it. Thank you for the read and review. take care...dan