Waiting in the Rain
I have
Outlived
The often busy party line phone
(Number please? Listening to others’ conversations.)
The dial phone
(The “Princess” model would never hang up)
The pager
(Hanging on a belt. Somebody needs you.)
The car phone
(Way too rich for my blood)
And six models of iPhones.
I have
Outlived
The 78, 45, and 33 1/3 rpm recordings,
Reel to reel, 8 track boxes, cassette tape players,
And even most CDs.
I have
Outlived
Radios
The black and white tv,
Rabbit ears,
Spinning, falling, rooftop antennas,
The Betamax and VHS format war,
And countless gaming systems.
I have
Outlived
Two of three husbands,
A beloved sweetheart of ten plus years,
All of my best high school friends,
And, tragically, one of my cherished granddaughters.
I have
Even,
In some peculiar ways,
Outlived myself.
I do not know
This body,
This face,
This hair,
This fragility,
That seems to creep into my every day life.
And yet…
I have NOT
Outlived
This planet.
The sun, the moon, and the stars
The earth, the flora and fauna
The seas, the deserts, and mountains
Which all calm my soul and stay my path.
And keep me company
As I am
Waiting,
Quietly waiting
In the rain.
