Victors Heart Chimes

I could sit here and begin recounting themes and dreams of my youth. A sharp striking smile that beguiles me, that as some kind of spiritual counterweight tugs mightily against the unbecoming voices and spirits that rest among me, have become me, counter what I want to become.  You tease the small habits of joy that I carry. I sing in a low tone to myself to pass the time, you join in. My singing stops shortly after I discover two voices are carrying on. A smile breaks from my face, breaks through the momentary presence of embarrassment. A smile composed of one part awkward discovery, and two parts sweet gawking, I lose the need to sing to break the monotony. Under my breath, I mutter some frustration and as the hot coals of something gone wrong or something a bit astray settle on me, you mirror in mocking tone. And I forget what momentarily stubbed my soul and I’m beside myself, outside of myself laughing at my absurdity. Removed twice from strained wadings, I sheepishly meet your...

Somewhere in the thick of days closing and the space occupied present or absent, the body closes to new direction. Through consuming possession of one facet of living over another,| Time dances on without us. Lost in rhythm, we turn down our head to focus, we turn down our smile or natural flat affect at time. Begrudged or betrayed the sound of our feet upon the earth fails to find sweet metronome with time. Out of balance we wade and warble forth striking our feet deeper into the mud and clay.  We plod on this path enchanted by one facet of living or another with an unguaranteed hope that our march forward will pay recompense to the lost time, the failures. The foibles.  All the while in calculated or clumsy step, our feet chisel storied memories into earths hallowed surface.