Thread: Not Dead Anniversary Number Four

Forty-eight sheets
of perfectly measured
numbered squares,
our paltry way of measuring life,
have been flipped over,
yet still, I hover.

Sheet number one
should have marked my passing,
God's great favor
gifted me forty-seven more to savor,
which brings us to
the aptly named present.

Such stories could slip from my lips,
enough to fill pages and pages
of experiences stolen
from Death's stone cold grasp.

But I won't elaborate,
for this piece was penned to celebrate
every breath and conversation,
every quiet moment of contemplation,
each meal, each hug, each sip from
a steaming mug, each kiss from a kid,
each chance to blow my lid,
and then apologize.

Each sunrise and set,
each chuckle in the faces
of those who bet
I would not be here, I love them still,
and keep them near. Every cloud,
every bird, every star, every word.
Each raindrop and breeze
dewdrop and sneeze,
all things reflect His favor.

Four years of blessed borrowed time,
all mine, yet theirs to share.
Happy fourth anniversary to us.

Thank you Almighty Father.

Poignantly penned, elegance personified . Treasured moments immortalized ...Only one who is living on borrowed time can savor these rare gifts. Well done! Peace...Jul

This is a very interesting piece, Lisa. After reading the last one you posted, good as it was, I was going to ask you if you'd ever considered writing in a different style. You have a certain style of poetry writing, and while that's not a bad thing, necessarily, it's always fun (at least for me) to branch out a bit and try new things, experimenting. Seems to me, though, that you've done that here in a small way. This is more light and open, less focused on rhythm, but in a good way. You also didn't overdo the rhyming - granted, there are a lot of rhymes here, but they feel natural, not forced, so much so that I hardly noticed them. Finally, although the darkness is hinted at near the beginning, this is a truly joyful poem, very refreshing and unlike your usual subject matter. Whether or not I agree with the sentiment is beside the point. I could nitpick this, but anything I would harp on would be pedantic, and really, I just don't want to nit this one, because I'm so proud of you for trying something a little different. I'd like to see more like this from you, branching out from your usual style, without sacrificing what makes the poem uniquely yours. Thanks for sharing, Lisa, really. It was a pleasant surprise.

I like this. I love the hint of darkness -- and I love it all the more so because it exists in an otherwise happy poem. I am impressed as usual with your alliteration and flow of words.

The only real critique I had is that I groaned a little at the inclusion of a hint at the old pun "that's why the call it the present!" I realize it fits in this usage, but it's been killed for me as a bad pun by too many other cheesy attempts at inspirational speaking.

But otherwise I love this.

I love the repetition in the final stanzas. You really show the depth of your emotions of love with the repetition of the ordinary things. Absolutely splended

You've outdone yourself here, this is my new favorite of yours. Beautiful work Lisa!

I loved this. Wonderful piece