Poetry – Page 88 – A (wise) man of two faces

The sunrise screams

I just want to sleep
but I remain haunted by
a vivid nightmare
which followed me past the dawn,
despite all my defenses.

I’ve been beaten,
kicked around,
insulted,
embarrassed –

My pride still burns.

You grab life by the throat
and wring your hands,
squeezing out the last drops
before drinking your bitter tea.

The sweat on my brow
is the mark of my efforts
to forge a future
for myself, my family,
and all of those whom I love.

I listen to each creak and moan
of this aging body of mine,
its quiet metronome
slowly counting out the time.

“Tell me what to say,”
he pleads into the night sky.
And while the Gods weep,
the darkness only echoes,
requesting words of its own.

Times are a-changing
but the turbulence ahead
will forge me anew.

Little glass doll, little glass doll,
why do you cry?
How did the ocean inside you
light a fire ‘round each eye?

Little glass doll, little glass doll,
why do you break?
Why is it that you fall apart
when we’re fighting for your heart?

Little glass doll, little glass doll,
why do you bleed?
Please get up and follow our lead –
we’ll teach you how to get what you need.

Little glass doll, little glass doll,
why did you fall?
We tried and tried and gave it our all –
why couldn’t you let down your wall?

May the winds of change
carry you into the sky
and to great fortunes.

These nostalgic songs
pluck at the strings of my heart
with practiced fingers.