And like a willow
Or a river birch
I found my self
Rooted and simply standing
Often and at times
Victim of the wind
Which wound and weaved
Through the years limbs
And every so often
Men would stumble upon
Me in search of the
The river in which
They swam I drank
Throwing off their clothes
And splashing and diving
In and beneath me
The river their baptism
And me their comfort
When young I believed
That I was chalk
Creating and discovering newness
At middle age I
Learned that I was
Erasers wiping away unnecessary
Ideas making room for
More upon retiring I
Discovered that I was
The blackboard upon which
Ideas dreams were written
And finally now I
Understand that I am
Just a classroom in
Which the lessons of
Life have been learned
My nighttime dreams brought
Happiness an odd array
Of characters had gathered
To surprise me on
My birthday hosted by
My ex husband and
Attended by long lost
At one time friends
Now serving his command
The war he declared
Against me years ago
But my dream was
A bit of homecoming
As though I’d entered
The gates of Heaven
It was like it
Was many years ago
I enjoy skating though
I prefer ice over
Rolling I think that
It’s the winter padding
Because I confidently know
That down I will
Go and up I
Will try but more
Down I will go
Dating is like that
Success only ever happens
When either someone helps
You up or you
Simply crawl to the
Side laughing and admitting
This isn’t for me
And just like that
It happened the hope
That had been buried
Deep in the ground
Erupted in yellows reds
Blues and pure whites
Like a cascade of
Spring flowers all yawning
Saying here I am
As promised after winters
Heavy blanket of loneliness
But will anyone notice
Oh hey hi there
Stop that it tickles
And then snap pluck
And off I go
Once again someone’s bouquet
*sigh
HARLAN DIDRICKSON 