Photo by John McKaveney: The Orion Nebula.
All her life she asked
“Are we there yet?”
Always impatient to arrive
Excited by what was to come
*
Now
Lying there
Waiting to draw her last breath
Her echoes float among the stars
“Are we there yet?”
*
Photo from the family album
Reflecting on my sister, Priscilla, one year later
Posting a second poem for d’Verse Poets Pub Prompt, Out of this World.
Join us at: https://dversepoets.com
The Unanswered Questions of War
(Written just prior to the Iraq war)
What do you say to the little girl’s mom
When all she has left is the child in her arms
And the girl is there, and the girl is dead…
What do you say to the little girl’s mom?
*
What do you say when no answers come
When the battle is over and the war is won
How can you say it was worth the cost
When the one you loved most is lost?
*
What do you say to the mother whose son
Was killed in the war so that freedom is won
And the boy is there and the boy is dead…
What do you say to the mother at home?
*
What do you say to the young wife at home
When all she has left is the flag in her palms?
And her husband is there, and her husband is dead
What do you say to the young wife at home?
*
What do you say when no answers come
When the battle is over and the war is won
How can you say it was worth the cost
When the one you loved most is lost?
*
What do you say to the little girl’s Mom…
Dwight L. Roth 3/03 & 4/04
Reposting this one today for Punam’s d’Verse prompt of an anti-war poem that describes the tragedy of war and its affect on everyone.
Join us at: https://dversepoets .com
Music makes the blind man see again
“This sunny April afternoon” made me think of Danny
He loved music and singing in the choir
Being blind did not affect his singing voice
His harmony came through loud and clear
Diabetes took its toll on his health, but not his voice
At age seventy-four he wanted to learn the guitar
A big challenge for me to help him
Getting fingers in position.. on the right strings
Playing chords came in time as we met each week
I could feel the music flowing through Danny
We spent a great year playing and singing together
Although it seemed like his “life in a bottle” was dark
his imagination and memory were sharp and clear
Then came Covid-19… isolation separated us
Health issues took Danny from us only a year ago
We all miss him greatly
Music made the blind man see again
Photos: Vera Payne
Posting for Punam’s poetry prompt, Music, on d’Verse Poets Pub. We were to include two of the song titles from a Linda Perry record album that she shared with us. My quotes are in dark print.
Join us at: https://dversepoets.com
Following my sister’s funeral a few weeks ago a lot of things went through my mind. Memories of our time together growing up and family gatherings that we shared, all came back to me. I thought of all the folks who gathered around the grave site to remember her life and I decided to attempt a watercolor painting. It took me two tries, but I finally came up with one that was a similar likeness of the event. It was good therapy for me to paint and think about all that had taken place.
Many gathered here
to say goodbye and grieve
Birds sing under blue sky
It is sad to see the devastation of the tornadoes that have blown through the US this past couple of weeks. So many people have lost everything they had, and most barely escaped with their lives. This poem is written for d’Verse Poets Pub’s prompt with them in mind.
George’s thoughts scatter like a broken string of pearls
Each little moment rolling off in a different direction
He paused to gather the memories together
To collect what was left of a lifetime of toil and labor
The house he had built lay scattered across the field
Only the bathroom walls were still standing
Sifting through the rubble he found their wedding picture
Lifting it gently from the rubble he saw the glass was not broken
It has been five years since she passed
A tear rolled down his cheek as recalled the love they shared
Memories of her helped him refocus as the years went by
Gradually he found himself enjoying life once again
And now a tornado destroyed it all in a matter few minutes
His life blowing in the wind like feathers from a pillow
No matter what the storm destroyed he still had his family
Surrounding him with Love and ready to help him rebuild.
*****
Photo: Brookings Institute – bing
Today at d’Verse, Laura gave us an interesting poetic challenge of writing a poem of Antonyms in Contrapuntal Lines.
We were to choose a pair of antonyms and write a poem for each word. Then we were to incorperate the two poems into one larger poem. I did mine by alternating the poem lines. I chose the words Scatter and Collect. You can read it as one poem or read the dark lines and the light lines as two separate poems. I hope I got this right.
Join us at: https://dversepoets.com
This is Cruz, my niece’s dog. She had him for many years, but he developed some health issues that could not be treated. As his health declined, she realized she needed to let him go. So, with her permission I have created this post in his memory.
Losing Cruz
Through thick and thin
My loyal friend protector and companion
Shadowing me at every turn
I always find you there
When I am gone you wait patiently
Anticipating my return
Barking your greeting excitedly
When I walk through the door
*
Our walks and hikes we shared together
Seeking new adventures
Whether Vancouver streets or mountain climbs
I loved every minute being with you
*
But your time has come / I let you go
Through heartbreak, pain, and tears
Memories of you are always with me
And more love than you’ll know
Photos: Jen Townsend
I painted this sunflower for our neighbor across the street a couple years ago. I was painting a different sunflower when Lois came by and said she wanted me to paint one just like it for her. It is a large 4′ x 4′ painting. She loved the colors and put it on an easel in her living room.
Sadly, we lost her to cancer a week ago. She was a beautiful person with a warm smile and welcoming spirit, just like the sunflower above. She will be missed.
Winter of life
unexpected changes
Seeds drop
Memories live on
Sunflowers bloom
Her spirit lives on
Painting: Dwight L. Roth
After reading the blogpost *“Existence of Sand”, I began thinking further on the subject from a little different perspective. These are my thoughts.
Knowing Our Limitations
Children build castles in the sand
Knowing they won’t last
Washed away in the high tide
Walls and moats and shells
do not stop the tide from wiping
the shore clean
And the next day
they do it all over again
Just like children we create our castles
full of detail and embellishments
Building walls around us
we seek protection
from fear, war, and destruction
We buy guns thinking they will protect us
Move into clustered communities
of people just like ourselves
Erecting monuments
we hope to be remembered
forever
But just like grains of sand
these too will go
The high tide hits us all in time
Wiping the slate clean
over and over
again and again
And someone else will build
their castle on our shore
***
Photo: Dwight L. Roth
*Check out this interesting post:
Nectar found
in your crown of life’s wisdom
Not in petals lost
Bees and Hummingbirds know this…
Photos: Dwight L. Roth
Today my good friend Danny passed away. It was very sad to get the news. He is the same age as me but suffered from health issues that shortened his life. He had diabetes that was difficult to control. Several weeks ago, he had to have part of his lower leg amputated from lack of circulation. In addition to that he was blind.
Back in 2019 his wife asked if I would try to teach him some chords on the guitar, so I worked with him along with his neighbor David who wanted to learn as well. David picked up playing very quickly, but for Danny it was a little slower. I was able to teach him how to hold chord positions, but he never quite mastered changing from one chord to another. We decided to have him play the home chord while David and I played the changes. He did well on keeping rhythm with us, so we sang and played together twice a week for the year before Covid. He loved playing with us and looked forward to our weekly get togethers. He favorite song was one his father in Barbados loved, Just a Little Talk with Jesus! Since Covid we have not been able to play together as his health continued to decline.
Goodby my dear friend
May you sing with the angels
and talk with Jesus
Photos: Dwight L. Roth
Painting: Dwight L. Roth
Roth Poetry 