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Gone At Last

If you are going, then go and be gone
The sun won’t hold its lamp for you, the shadows
Only last so long

The smiles launched on the breeze of yesterday
Will not return with the storms 
That rage today

Each spring does not recall
The leaves discarded by last autumn’s fall
And waters underneath the bridge are gone
Like the faded notes of a faded song

The night will keep its shades of truth
When morning comes and dawn reveals
The absence you cannot conceal

And the bloom of you that once we knew
Are memories the winds have cast
And you are going, gone at last

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Christina Bowring

Date: 3/31/2024 3:28:00 PM

Such a beautiful but powerful write John and sad too with the lingering and final acceptance of absence. ‘ The sun won’t hold its lamp for you’ ‘ the night will keep its shades of truth’ And you are going, gone at last.’ So poignant, so profound and so relatable to many people. I love how you express emotions so poetically well, so captivating. Yes, I simply love how you write. Really enjoyed this poem too from you. Thank you for sharing. I found it inspirational :)

John Oldham
Date: 4/2/2024 5:58:00 PM

Thanks for your comments, Christina. Happy to hear you enjoyed it. Warm Regards, John

Gary Radice

Date: 3/21/2024 3:02:00 AM

This is really profound John..and poignant. On first read I’m thinking perhaps there is an air of bitterness towards someone who is no longer around but on 2nd and 3rd reads I’ve convinced myself that the memories that linger are sad ones and that time waits for no one. That’s me attaching a person to the subject when perhaps this is a personification of the seasons. I think too much sometimes but enjoyed reading this immensely. Cheers - Gary

John Oldham
Date: 3/23/2024 5:38:00 AM

Glad you liked it, Gary! Yes, the sentiment in this poem is universal. It is getting over someone, or something's absence and moving on, while simultaneously acknowledging that absence.