Washed out colors
Washed out road
Washed out goals
A bleak trudge through these twilight years
I settled into the greys
The hueless landscape without danger
A bland chowder lacking salt
Devoid of spices
Lukewarm
With water colors
I painted my environment
Undersaturated in pastel tints
Life came calling, then, at my closed door
Bringing flowers, and salt water, and glorious sunsets
I smiled politely, found a vase, took a swim, snapped a photo
Life courted me relentlessly, heedless of my discontent
A musical renaissance, an auditory serenade
My indifferent diffidence began to differentiate
A technicolor palette overcame the the somber tones
I danced to swaying tree limbs in a solitary sequence
Let me stay asleep, it’s warm here
Who needs hot and cold, and spices and troubles?
I will gamely march unremarked to the end, I thought
It’s what I wanted, but I did not account for need
Life brought me chocolates, sent me on adventurous trips
Bought me tickets to the theater, invited friends and family to my door
Need showed up silently creeping
Need slipped in under the door
Need required, demanded a brand new accounting
It’s all beyond my control now
The riotous colors, and blossoming flora
The music’s too loud, and I’m dancing too fast
The lights are all flashing, the rhythm is thumping
And there in the center of vibrant toned life
The ocean waves ceasing after the storm
In the soft glow of sunrise when life called to me
I answered the door with a welcoming air
Let the glorious light of the dawn into the room
Spoken Poetry
