Alone, with you

The most dishonest songs on the world

Are the ones whose singers promise to

Come running to see you again,

To lean on me,

Like a bridge over troubled water.

***

A friend of mine, a particularly stoic guy,

Confessed to me on the phone that

He’s been given to self-pity lately.

I said the first thing that came to mind:

“That’s not very attractive.”

***

I’ve been married to my wife 16 years.

One Friday night in the middle of that, she came home clinically depressed.

I treated her as if she was an armed intruder.

You get out, or I will.

Sickness and in health didn’t apply. I was defending myself and my child.

***

When you’re down and troubled …

Do you want to call out someone’s name?

Or, like me, is your impulse to wait

Until you feel better again,

And can be better company?

***

Yes, there’s aid and comfort and loyalty to be found in this world.

But you know—not suspect, not think, not worry, know—

That in the end, it's you against you,

Or you alongside you

Who’ll either laugh or cry, work or lie, do or die.

***

Dedicated to communicator and poet Glynn Young, who has the courage to publish poems; and the best reader I know, Marty Damon, who encourages me. (Blame them.) —DM

Comments

[Glynn]

David, a poem is one way to say what often can't otherwise be said. Like you did here. As for your dedication, you caught me with my talking points down. So I will say a simple thank you, and a simple "I'm honored." And keep writing poems.

[L.L. Barkat]

Life in this poem. Not all of it easy (maybe none of it), but life nonetheless.

And that's what I love in poems.

[Melo]

Honest. And true.

[Eileen]

Bravo. Well done.

[Kathy Schmidt]

And you call yourself a toughie...

Busted!

Nice to see you at the commune-whatever conference.

Kathy

[Tyler Hayes]

Love it.

[Kristen]

It's true that we all gotta do what we gotta do by ourselves, but sometimes it helps to tell those who care about us that it's feeling a little heavy today.

Your peeps are here for you - to applaud your poetry as highly as your "regular" writing.

Good on you, David.