Carrie Richards Poet Free verse

Notes About The Poem

Regrets

I return each year to make my peace
I wade through  quilts of grass and stone
Beside the  mounds, of cold damp earth
And pray it's true.......that angels hear
Will gather 'round to listen, now

I need to know that somewhere there
is someone close, to feel my breath
To hear the words I've left unsaid
or accolades I should have shared

But words, too late, I've kept unspoken
inaudible,  are broken tears
and with regret, I will come
to spread transparent words around

I should have sung them long ago
Toss them like leaves, so you would know
to catch them like the leaves of fall...
And gently you would gather them 
to keep them for your heart to own

Through the years I've held regret
From things suppressed that froze my tongue 
And with regret, words linger yet, 
Still hovering to weigh me down

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For Catie's Contest: "No More Masks"    
Inspired by a poem by Angelina W. Grimke 

The Eyes of My Regret

Always at dusk, the same tearless experience, 
The same dragging of feet up the same well-worn path 
To the same well-worn rock; 
The same crimson or gold dropping away of the sun 
The same tints, - rose, saffron, violet, lavender, grey 
Meeting, mingling, mixing mistily; 
Before me the same blue black cedar rising jaggedly to 
a point; 
Over it, the same slow unlidding of twin stars, 
Two eyes, unfathomable, soul-searing, 
Watching, watching, watching me; 
The same two eyes that draw me forth, against my will 
dusk after dusk; 
The same two eyes that keep me sitting late into the 
night, chin on knees 
Keep me there lonely, rigid, tearless, numbly 
miserable - 
The eyes of my Regret.

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Elaine George January 14, 2016 at 6:22 PM Hi, Carrie, I know this all-too-well. I wrote one with a very similar theme posted July 13th, 2006. Your writing..as always...is amazing.

Skat A October 2, 2015 at 10:12 PM Carrie, congratulations on your wonderful win. SKAT

Sandra Haight October 2, 2015 at 2:32 PM Very beautiful, yet sad, Carrie. However, your words echo the feelings we all are faced with at times...too little too late...like my mom called to heaven at age 54...so much left unsaid. Congratulations on your podium win! Carrie Richards October 2, 2015 at 2:35 PM Thank you for your kind words, Sandra. I lost my own mother when she was 46, I wish I could have said the things that have been in my heart all these years.

Kp Nunez October 1, 2015 at 5:09 PM Simply beautiful. I am not familiar with this poem but if there is no name for both, I'd say yours inspired her write, and I'd say that without batting an eyelash! Congrats, Carrie!

Poet Destroyer A August 27, 2015 at 7:58 PM WOW, Carrie.... The poem's powerful, your poem and the poem in which inspired your write. I know regret like no other. Sadly, some of us (like me) chose to live with the regrets. However, I think sometimes we are afraid to cry over some regrets. Because, to regret one thing, means to find regret in everything connected to that one regret. Anyways, I'm just babbling here.. I'm also here, to ask you something... Sending 2 soup mail... WUV ~LINDA~