Tell the Song
Karen Hallenbeck-Sikorsky-George BS,RN
September 14th, 2006
In the amber shadow, the brown branch stays, reaching with
Worn leaves burned by sun, empty of light, now dry, unable
To touch, the earth below, or break off to become the wind's
Refuge, to blow far away from this barren landscape, where
Desert plain is endless, timeless, ageless, and the human forms
That dot the surface, working like efficient ants, are glowing
Fireflies, they die on command, endless rain will never come
The tired old man needs heroin, he is falling down, no one
Cares, they walk by, invisible to the healthy land mines
He crawls behind a brick building laying face up to
The burning sun (to die), and the mongrel dogs ignore
His last breath, a word of solace to all, "God" is all
Today, hear that silent song, blue in color following you up
And down the stair steps of your mind, shake loose all the
Dust, spider webs, soiled clothing, dirty dishes and become
One life that sees the world "just" as it is, the tears form
From a place you did not know (your heart) and you cannot
Barricade the children within the fence, they are running wild
The playground has no boundaries, and their voices scream
In happiness, potential life to grow, they are seeds, and you
Just fall, telling old stories, and the dirty dollar bill
Flies out of your pocket, a police car pulls us and
Two officers young enough to be your grandsons
Shake their heads in unison, like children they call
The coroner's car takes you to the air conditioned room, and
You are gone, wave good bye, for soon parts of you will be
The remainder of long years lived on planet Earth, and the
Brown branch falls, cracks on icy soil, it is December and a
Stray snow forms in highest skies, and a blizzard bathes the
Plain this night, the coyote is hidden deep in the barren hill
North of Midland, far enough where inches will form on the
Ground, and children will stay home from school, listen the song...
The church bell hesitates, pulls back, its huge silver countenance
Like a belligerent face, pulls back, and watching it without closing
Your eyes, you see an old man you once knew, his smile absent
The tower is beyond your touch, or you could climb up and
Feel the silver on his cheek, experience the tears never shed
Tell him "Daddy I love you I did all along" and be the young
Man of pride he bore, with that mother who pulled you back
Beat you with her infatuated lies, into clear mental submission
He cries alone, red baseball cap in hand, it took
So long to find this father, above the Christian house
No worship, no prayer will bring him back today
He is at peace, the track marks healed, he is of
God, the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth and so
Jesus Christ died for our sins, and he'll punch the clock, study
His books at night, become the man "Daddy" could not be,
Marry the girl who did not lay down, spread her legs wide
The one who inspired his manhood to rise is now gone, just
A fictional memory of lust, and Sunday he goes back before
The bell rings, to sit in pensive gaze below on that brown
Bench burrowed in prayer, and reverence for the man, now gone
To each his own, now years pass, arthritis burns
His back in the morning, and circles under his
Eyes speak of ill health, the years are short we see
Later on, down the road, when we cannot leave
Hell on earth, to journey to happy places, vacation lands only
Today it is hard to walk, to see backwards with pride, to feel
The many who walked through your heart, who burned small
Pores of indecision in your mind, who never cared the way
You do now, who will be too busy to attend your funeral or
Too old to care, who will pray to bank accounts, and make
People their God, forever and ever amen, close your eyes
Don't think this say, tell the song to stop, playing here...
In my head...
Silence can reign..
