Progressions
Through Paradise: A Sijo Sequence
There is joy in
little thoughts--the memory of my first rose—
The first steps our toddler took—a kiss stolen in bright
moonlight—
The first tear I shed when you left me for another lover.
My heart breaks—unexpected pain shatters glass.
What I see in my mirror is an empty path without love.
My garden, a desert, weed choked—in my life there is no joy.
In the park I meet a man who lost his legs—a foreign war.
Yet he smiles, from his wheel chair, reading world news in the
warm sun.
Who will sit in your empty chair breaking bread with us and
God?
I grow old—the days and years pass—Spring, Summer, Fall and
Winter. . .
How like you, our son appears on his wedding day—so handsome!
I wonder…now do you suppose my grandson will have your eyes?
