Ordained

We started on a common path,
But not one of our choice.
In time we went our separate ways,
To hear or find our voice,

And so traversed the wilderness
With joys and dangers fraught.
The path I chose, not best or worst,
Just mine, or so I thought.

I did not scale that rocky cliff,
Nor cross that deep crevasse;
I found the briars and the thorns,
And verdant, pleasant grass.

Yet here we’re called to take a rest,
Again, not one we chose.
The way is forward; that is clear,
Yet to where no one knows.

Shall we recount where each has been?
Do bygone ways still matter?
Or shall we share a common time,
Again before we scatter?

How will I know about that scar,
Those flowers in your hair?
Or you about my painful limp,
Those wrinkles there and there?

Come, let us simply rest a while,
Tend sore and calloused feet,
For He alone knows when our paths,
Divergent, wandering, meet.

—————

for the 2022 Poetry Marathon Mile 12 Poetry Contest
sponsored by Mark Toney
written 03/15/2022
Copyright © | Year Posted 2022

Poem

Post Comments

Poetrysoup is an environment of encouragement and growth so only provide specific positive comments that indicate what you appreciate about the poem. Negative comments will result your account being banned.

Please Login to post a comment

Hankins Avatar
March 15, 2022 at 10:42 AM
A marvelous poem, Jeff. Thoroughly enjoyed it. Interesting how life takes people, family, and friends in different directions.
Kyser Avatar
March 15, 2022 at 10:52 AM
Funerals are weird - you see people you haven't seen in years, sometimes family you had very close ties to, but the natural state in life is drift, it seems. Not so much estrangement as plain old time and distance. Thanks for reading.
Get a Premium Membership
Turn off ads, get more exposure for your poetry, and get more features with a Premium Membership.
Book: Diverse Voices: The Poetry of Human Rights and the Pursuit of Peace