Red Penance

Under the shade of that proliferous maple tree we'd named I'd given you a piece of my naive exuberant heart when I handed over a fragment of shimmering red ribbon I still remember your reluctant smile masking paranoia In shades of twilight wavering from mauve to scarlet you'd returned that piece of me when you left imprudent to believe in the eternity of young love I'd vowed to reparate my life to obliviate my scars Discarded that wretched fragment of red ribbon I'd embarked a journey on a turn to another road the miserable ribbon unaware of my reverberating battles remained desolate on that spot- my incompetent sword A whiplash of raging storm washed it down the cliff as I kept descending into your miserable memories the fervent stream rolled it forth with the pebbles As I tossed my desires beneath the pattering raindrops It crashed against unrelenting waves and surged carelessly while I wished my fears would escape like an Albatross On a frozen blue midnight it swept along a canopy to the shore while the frozen chunks of my innocence gasped under snow When Autumn bade farewell, it swooshed along with broken twigs as my visions of you began to dissolve into old debts across time When it slept beneath the cushions of dried leaves in summer my fears evanesced in my pleas of mercy for atonement of new journeys It disappeared in the follies of my young years embraced by time and I rose into the skies with the strength of my scars Soothing whispers and wailing sobs found an abode together my exile demanded a resurrection of my past to attain salvation Last year I heard a hurricane had uprooted our dear maple tree I retreated the half mile I'd traversed half a decade ago with you Unshackled from your anchor, my ship sailed smoothly till our spot a fragment of a faded red ribbon fell next to a rising maple sapling Enchanted by the divine coincidence manifested from my journey I buried it with a soothing effervescence releasing you at last the sapling of my red penance revived me with hope and bliss I only remember the red memories now, not how the moments made me feel. May 24, 2020 Falling Poetry Contest Sponsor: Kai Michael Neumann ~Premiere Contest Winner: 6th Place Your Best Free Verse That You Wrote Poetry Contest Sponsor: Chantelle Anne Cooke ~Premiere Contest Winner: 6th Place BRIAN'S CHOICE T,any form,any theme ~Winner: 2nd Place