Sudden

With a snap of the fingers,
The drop of a hat,
A life can be altered 
And that will be that.

Though positive changes 
May happen that way,
It’s mostly the bad things
That heavily weigh.

For something that’s sudden
That no one expected
Casts ripples of grief
To each person affected.

Yet life must go on
In an alternate way,
Though survivors remember
The terrible day

That divides all their lives
Into two equal parts – 
The before and the after,
When sufferance starts.
Copyright © | Year Posted 2025

Poem

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Borke Avatar
July 13, 2025 at 3:40 PM
So true, so true, so true!
Wolf Avatar
July 12, 2025 at 8:31 PM
Words of wisdom, Ilene. Just takes a moment, a wave of the hand, and all can be lost - or gained. ~ gw
M  Avatar
July 12, 2025 at 3:28 AM
Oh Ilene how beautifully said! It's those sudden times that completely take your breath away and you have to start to learn how to navigate your new normal. The last stanza is so powerful! Excellent poem....Debx
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