You are here     today     Again
now
upon my lap     my hands in you
when     you passed
into a tomorrow     today     yesterday is
Again
born     into a day     birthday candles
extinguished     with a spark
a bark peals     back the dark
your face     printed on your name
you awake     the silence
with     a look     a belly rub
a door     Again     opens the emptiness
that filled     five years     amputated
fetched back     morning new
hearting     for you
broken awoken     mended     view
we drive into the day     you play
random     aphorisms     on the radio
“you’re gonna be the one     that saves me
and after all     you’re my wonderwall”
safe     brick     by fur brick
your heat     an oven     rising     in you
a loaf divided     one     Again
my spirit     a basil leaf     picked
this scarred node     brings two
pages     written     white black     white
Again
rexque quondam     futurus
the King is dead, long live the King
“now he has risen     miracles
would have to save”
a dove     perched     on a wire above
over     a dirt road
turn
nowhere     everywhere
gone     here     Again
an empty nest     a family blessed
time’s arrest     unwinds
springs
dog years
Again.

Postscript on the poem: I’m not one to explain my writing or my poems as a general rule, but this one needs some saying, if only to honour the why and why today. Today, April 25, is the birthday of Ben, my longtime companion who passed away 5½ years ago (In Memoriam 1996-2014). A few months ago, and after 5 years of healing, my family and I committed to adopting a new companion into our lives: “Leo.” We (and I in particular) was finally ready. But by some strange cosmic twist of fate, Leo joined us today, on Ben’s birthday. A great reason to write this poem … today.

∞

Submitted as part of “National/Global Poetry Writing Month” (#NaPoWriMo #GloPoWriMo).

Today’s prompt:  Day Twenty-Five:  Because it’s a Saturday, I have an (optional) prompt for you that takes a little time to work through — although you can certainly take short-cuts through it, if you like! The prompt, which you can find in its entirety here, was  developed by the poet and teacher Hoa Nguyen, asks you to use a long poem by James Schuyler as a guidepost for your poem. (You may remember James Schuyler from our poetry resource for Day 2.) This is a prompt that allows you to sink deeply into another poet’s work, as well as your own.

30 Poems in 30 Days

All text and photography © Dale Schierbeck

…. more of my original Poetry on EatsWritesShoots here.