Life Bends
©2012 Susan Noyes Anderson
R. A. D. Stainforth
A river flows around the bend;
no man can see what lies ahead.
What mysteries does this portend
to fill my heart with hope or dread?
A river flows around the bend;
no man can see what lies ahead.
What mysteries does this portend
to fill my heart with hope or dread?
On a quiet summer morning,
after night’s unbroken rest,
I look past the tree-framed window
and discover I am blessed.

Declaration of Independence.
Pilgrims’ feet, well-planted.
Heritage and brave forefathers:
all taken for granted.

My life is hard; she likes to say.
In fact, she says it every day.
Reliably and without fail,
Poor me has been her holy grail.

Collecting is a testament
to life already lived –
a witness of the future
still in store.
My friend and I go all around;
together we are always found.
Sometimes we run and shout and play;
sometimes we sit upon the ground.
image by Aaron Burden on UnsplashWe reverenced the flag when I was a young girl…
proud and strong we stood, hand over heart.
Deep emotions were raised as we saw it unfurl;
our allegiance was pledged from the start.
Photo by Filip Mroz on Unsplash
She sails across an open sea
obscured in fog and memory–
a ship of ghosts, of days gone by,
her battered flag lost to the sky.