Towards the Tree Line

Towards the tree line I stare towards the tree line, misshapen and abstract on my eyes Fading in winter’s chill and leafless emptiness that I feel, but can not see Oh it is there, screaming at me, waving in the wind, calling in birdsong But my eyes travel more… a distance well beyond any footpath I’ve taken Shelved on highway vistas now filled with detoured persuasions So very far, miles on scaled dotted lines, asphalt tearing at my soles, untied laces drag Crawling down barbed wire destinations Bits of fabric snagged, ripped flannel explanations, apologies tattered and frayed, patchwork pleadings in mismatched sentences Still I gaze, following shadows into loneliness Reaching for but a hint of a smile, a fix-all for a broken heart, a mosaic sponge to catch these tears…I find none Tossing a stone, it bounces on fielded diaries, words of pain scribbled before even a thought Collections of wishes in a four leaf clover pockets, brushed of life’s unfairness If only I could hold you again, beneath frostbitten promises, gently with the touch of every meaning, building a wall to turn back all of our yesterdays Now ice covered in wilting definitions, shattered futures of a desolate existence, as silhouettes carve unrecognizable initials and still I can only stare towards the tree line, lost and alone…without you 2/7/17 Written for the: You Broke My Heart Poetry Contest Sponsored by: Nicola Byrne