Saturday, July 19, 2014

July 19, 2014 In the Beginning/ Distortion of Time and Space

In The Beginning
You were three days old
When we picked you up
Beautiful baby first step
On your journey
And to think you selected us

My heart is twisted now
It’s return to its’ original form
Isn’t likely
It is crippled now
Broken to a thousand pieces
Like a jigsaw puzzle
Scattered across the floor
Who will pick up the pieces
Who will fit them together
Who will restore

It isn’t something
Someone can do
Healing comes when
The right words are found
Fitted together
The story is told
Memories profound

July 19, 2014

__________________________

Distortion of Time and Space
My life a distortion of time and space
A world reflected on a shiny silver balloon
Sometimes stretched horizontally
At other times vertically

When stretched horizontally
The day seems to go on forever
Time slows down
I see myself in slow motion

When stretched vertically
It seems I am an empty shell
At the bottom of the sea
Lost my purpose for being
I am gently moved back and forth
By the tides as they come in
Then back out to sea

I float in a dreamscape
Of desert
Mountains
Sky
You are no longer here
The heart of my heart
An empty shell that no longer beats

It seems in that moment
There was a loud bang
That marked ‘before and after’
I covered my ears
Though it was not reported
Then an eerie silence
The church bells in the valley
Ceased their ringing

I could no longer feel myself
It was as if I disappeared
Yet I remained on the edge
To see you fall
Helpless I was not able
To catch you
This was to be our destiny
Recorded in stone

James Henry Livingston  born May 22, 1966  2:42pm  died June 6th  2014  7:15am

Note:  Inspired by the words of Terry Tempest Williams, “Distortion of time and space....floating in a dreamscape of desert and water and sky...”  When Women Were Birds




5 comments:

Jae Rose said...

Two beautiful pieces that in some way make sense of that broken puzzle..I love the opening line of the first poem- so very tender. I love the silver balloon..like a mirror in the sky..on one side your story...maybe on the other your son..I love how you have played with the idea of distortion in time and space..sometimes the most real..terrible events are those which seem most surreal...I hope in words and form they in some way can at least be expressed if not born out

Sherry Blue Sky said...

So beautiful, Annell, and heart-rending - the memory of that beautiful baby, the gift that he was, taken back too soon. Somehow the telling of the story may help those pieces find their way. I most love "I float in a dreamscape of desert Mountains Sky".....may those things cradle your heart gently.

Brian Miller said...

whew...the bang...the watching them fall..the being unable to help...its one of my greatest fears....and you will pick up those peieces...though some may come along and help along the way...you will have to....its not easy...and if you ever need...i have an ear...

Fireblossom said...

Oh my goodness, this is so heartbreaking. Every word is well chosen and just filled with an awful hurt.

btw, my birthday is May 22nd, as well.

kaykuala said...

Stretched either way can be a real bother. But it hurts just the same! Nicely annell!

Hank

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