IMOGENE’S NOTEBOOK
Forging a New Path Amidst the Ashen Terrain
A poem
Life as we knew it
Gone up in smoke
We battle to breathe
No end in sight
When eventually the thick cloud attempts to lift
I see only remnants of what was
Futile attempts to extinguish the pain
Often reignite the deep sorrow that I try to frantically fan out
My tears run along the parched earth
This deep loss
Consumed the familiar
And even tried to wipe out the core
But the roots you planted years back remain steadfast
Ashes to ashes
Dust to dust
I slowly make my way through the haze
Painfully aware that your season has passed
Forging a new path
Amidst the ashen terrain
With time
Green shoots emerge
A welcome contrast to the deeply altered landscape
Glimmers of hope surface
Bearing testament to nature’s own cycle
Of survival and rejuvenation
Your sacrifices remain grounded in my soul
……………………………………………………………………………………………
This poem was written in response to Debra G. Harman, MEd.’s prompt “Keepers of the Ash, a prompt for the dead of winter”.
