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Andrea Doherty Poem
I found a box when my mother died
And saw the me I was inside.
Big blue eyes and auburn locks,
Rolled up skirt and blue knee socks.
Glee club programs, old year books
Awards and rings tucked into nooks.
And there, a picture of a boy
Who filled my teenage years with joy.
Jeans and tee shirts, hockey skates,
Rock and roll and concert dates.
A soul that made my young heart sing-
First love, first kiss, first everything
As we grew up we slipped apart.
For other places we’d depart
To different schools and different lives,
On to lovers, husbands, wives.
But sometimes I would feel regret.
Years passed and I could not forget.
I’d wonder what he’s doing now -
The where and when and why and how
Fate intervened one Fall and then,
We found each other once again.
I met him on the street one day
And forty years just slipped away.
And right away with no surprise
I saw the boy in the grown man’s eyes.
Our fingers intertwined. The thrill
Told us that we were in love still.
We strolled around that day and kissed,
And spoke of all that we had missed.
Though the happiest we’d been in years
I knew that it would end in tears.
The old desires stirred up anew,
But we knew what we had to do.
Aware some lines must not be crossed
Because there’d be too great a cost.
We left each other and slept alone
Each with a spouse in a lonely home.
To dream of things that might have been
And hope that we cross paths again.
I cherish my handsome rock and roll boy
Who gave a young girl so much joy.
By loving the girl with the auburn locks
The rolled up skirt and blue knee socks.
Copyright © Andrea Doherty | Year Posted 2015
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Andrea Doherty Poem
Solitary on my raft
Drifting peacefully away from the anguish towards sanctuary
The land becomes distant and harder to see.
Hurt subsides gradually and security softens my body
as the expanse of the ocean beckons me towards freedom
Languidly floating. Barely noticing.
Daydreaming of a burdenless future.
Harbingers unnoticed
Winds pick up
A swell begins
Almost imperceptible at first
Rocking, sickening
Intensity builds
More ominous, threatening
Thrashing, disorienting
Caught in the curl
Lungs constrict
I cannot breathe or call for help
There is no help anyway
Flailing wildly, finally grasping a piece of my shattered vessel
Bobbing to the surface, I can gasp for air
But start to drown in my own soul instead as the pain returns
My limp form is tossed by the final crash of the wave
It draws away
I land on the beach where I started
Abandoned and spent on the sand
I pick myself up and search for wood to build another raft.
Copyright © Andrea Doherty | Year Posted 2015
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Andrea Doherty Poem
Blow on a dandelion and wish
God's parachutes, my dad would say
Then fold your hands, whisper a prayer
And watch them as they float away
You can say anything to God
So talk to Him like He's your friend
God answers all our prayers, sweet girl
Because His love will never end
God cares for us, and He is wise
He knows what's right and just and true
The Lord may say the time is right
And in His grace, say yes to you
But though you may not understand
Sweet child, believe the Lord knows best
So do not be surprised sometimes
If He says no to your request
So dear, give thanks for all His gifts
Both granted and to those denied
For you never really can go wrong
If you trust Him to be your guide
Copyright © Andrea Doherty | Year Posted 2015
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Andrea Doherty Poem
Your touch today felt safe for the first time
In what seemed to be a lifetime of numb refusal
Conscious forgiveness
Liberation from bitterness
Encapsulates and shelves the pain
Enabling intimacy
No longer naive but adapted
Copyright © Andrea Doherty | Year Posted 2015
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Andrea Doherty Poem
The pulse is in my head
Out on the crowded floor
The exhilaration of movement
Don't care who is looking
No missed steps
Just a change in choreo
Surrounded by people
I can still be alone
Copyright © Andrea Doherty | Year Posted 2015
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Andrea Doherty Poem
The first time you see
The red strokes
Where your breasts used to be
You demonstrate the essence of confidence, don't you?
I am alive!
These scars reveal a survivor, isn't that true?
But with solitude comes the reveal
Fright and doubt
Afraid to say to the world what you really feel
And you put your grateful face out to the world and try
To look brave
And let no one ever see you cry
I will heal and look better, so they say
But not today
Copyright © Andrea Doherty | Year Posted 2015
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Andrea Doherty Poem
My spirit is drifting to where?
Aimless
Wandering through the heavens
Seeking a link
Some connection
The alone-ness oddly palpable
For that which is ethereal
Copyright © Andrea Doherty | Year Posted 2015
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Andrea Doherty Poem
When did red stop being my favorite color?
When did I fall into the trap of middle age?
Black is slimming
More appropriate
Hiding from the light
Blending in
Falling into the shadows
Safe from judging eyes
Dark closets full of dark fabrics
Sensible shoes, professional suits and matching bags
Following the rules
When did I start following rules?
I need to find hue I really am again.
Copyright © Andrea Doherty | Year Posted 2015
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Andrea Doherty Poem
I see my beloved when I close my eyes
Sleep can draw in even the most distant being
Touch from miles away
Light and intense
Quiet and powerful
Waking up exhausted
Missing him more
Copyright © Andrea Doherty | Year Posted 2015
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Andrea Doherty Poem
Her blue eyes sparkled and danced, they said
Like the lights on a Broadway marquee
Finding the laughter in everything and everyone
Twinkling
Sometimes with a loud guffaw
Sometimes with a sly grin
Sometimes in quiet joy
Sometimes in the most inappropriate situations
Crinkling
Looking a little closer
The lines have deepened
Only just a little bit more
Time has been good to them
A few lamps have dimmed
Or even burnt out
But they move so fast
It is hardly noticeable
The lights are still shining
And the dance goes on
Copyright © Andrea Doherty | Year Posted 2015
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