Best Poems Written by Joshua Keeler

Eyes

For thirty years, I was lost, empty and devoid of purpose.
I surmised I would never thrive, deprived of love. 
Bereft of all that is good in this world. 
That was until I first saw my daughter’s eyes.

Before that day, my heart was shattered and cold.
Trauma, rage, sadness, had stolen my soul.
Apathy, depression, obsession with vengeance, consuming me whole.
A lifetime of misery had taken its toll.

However, in that moment, I realized.
The belief my hatred would never die was nothing more than a lie.
In that moment, when I saw my daughter’s eyes.
I could feel the hate that I carried inside.
Begin to die, paralyzed. 
Crippled by the purity within my daughter’s eyes.

I held her in my arms, and it all made sense.
My struggles throughout life were just a test.
I stood there, holding my reason for living close to my chest.
In a blissful state of awe, losing myself in my daughter’s eyes.

On that day, my daughter Alaina saved my life, saved my soul.
A life once thought lost, had since been found.
A soul that was damned, now shined brighter than ever.
This is why I will forever be indebted.
To my daughter Alaina, and her beautiful blue eyes. 

Copyright © Joshua Keeler | Year Posted 2025