As morning wakes me and I shake
The tangles out and turn my head
Last night's wineglass glimmers
On the table by my bed.
That constant tick will sound the clock
Will ring days and nights beyond
You'll rise and shower, smile and
In a morning's sigh be gone.
I roll 'round to face you
Sleeping softly by my side
And stretching out my hand
I could touch you if I tried.
A numbness creeps out of my toes
Up into my mind and in my ear,
The pounding words repeat,
Fool, he isn't really here.
Today becomes one more
In a series of goodbyes
Waking to this hollow room
Remembering all the lies.
I want to hold the moment
To ask why you can't care
But the starkness of the light renews
This morning's sharp despair.
It seems like holding out my hand
And begging for someone
Who would keep me from the lonely
Is all I've ever done.
Now we have spent our hours
We've filled up gentle nights
Unfolding the dimensions of our minds
And groping for the heights.
The wineglass on the table
Trails its shadow on the shelf
And I lie here while you're sleeping
Empty as the glass that's left.
© Gay Reiser Cannon All Rights Reserved
wonderful expression of that feeling of emptiness...even when someone is sleeping right next to you.....great one shot...bkm
ReplyDeleteThe glass isn't half empty or half full...more often it's empty or it's full...that's the way of love.
ReplyDeleteYou've captured emptiness perfectly here.
ReplyDeleteGay, this is a lovely poem that perfectly captures that sense of "if only" that hits at moments like those. I know your words will ring true and painfully familiar for so many who read them.
ReplyDeleteA perfect capture of feelings familiar to all seekers of love. So well done and intuitively wise.
ReplyDeleteGut-true relatable, that ironic "lonely in a room of people" - in this case, "sleeping person" - feeling... I think you might well have just described my short-lived/disastrous marriage from a few years ago.
ReplyDeleteStrong stuff, my friend, keep it up - the superlative verses, I mean. ;P
oh wow...this one hurt deep..the rolling over to find its another goodbye...wonderful pul at the emotions...great one shot!
ReplyDeleteBrilliant poem. Ends with such an emptiness, beautifully composed, yet oh so sad. Your words are powerful, and the image is also amazing.
ReplyDeleteThat one is full to the rim - a Cabernet of sorrow and regret.
ReplyDeleteLovely poem - my dear
Thanks for your support and sharing with One Shot
Love from the Moon
There is nothing worse than being lonely in a shared bed. Beautiful and heartbreaking poem, Gay.
ReplyDeleteThis hurts deep. And we all have our moments, Gay.
ReplyDeleteThat pulls at the heart!! Beautiful poetry!
ReplyDeleteWonderful poetry!
ReplyDeletethe middles makes it
Another melancholy tale of love's woes - fall must bring that out among people, especially One Shotters. (Or is that One Shooters?)
ReplyDeleteVery touching, Gay!
Such emptiness...beautifully captured. Really gives the heartstrings a tug, for it is a pain to which we all can empathize. Powerful stuff.
ReplyDelete...You'll rise and shower, smile and
ReplyDeleteIn a morning's sigh be gone...
a lot of the loneliness and longing catched in these verses...beautiful one shot
quite a sad and lovely metaphor
ReplyDeleteExquisite writing. You capture emptiness sowell and it feels heavy here.
ReplyDeleteAnd I lie here while you're sleeping
ReplyDeleteEmpty as the glass that's left._ that's a fabulous line. You beautifully portrayed the sadness and emptiness of being left.
Thank you everyone. I guess this works. I liked it as I wrote it but wasn't quite sure if it's "poetic" enough whatever that means any more. However, from all your comments, it seems to resonate. I appreciate everything you said. Gay
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed this poem, especially these lines:
ReplyDelete"Unfolding the dimensions of our minds
And groping for the heights."
And the last stanza was well done, it brought the poem to a perfect close.
I think that the parallel between the empty wine glass and an empty experience and that made this a good read. My favorite line: "And groping for the heights."
ReplyDeleteThe photo is pretty cool.
You make it very easy to fall into the cadence of the narrator as she realizes both the literal and metaphor sense of the empty evening. I admire the way you incorporate the imagery into a coherent thematic picture. Packs quite an emotional kick even through several reads. Quite the exemplar.
ReplyDeletecrb.
You have a good writing style, rhyming without beating the reader over the head with it. Great imagery, wonderful emotion. Will leave it at that for now.
ReplyDeleteExcellent write of poetry, I must confess I could not get through the whole poem without the tears pouring out,,,, your words were powerful could feel a bone cold chill run through me.
ReplyDeletecheers,
Joanny
While I didn't want to make anyone sad, it is incredible for me to understand that this work could move someone to tears. That really affects me.
ReplyDeleteI think in this day of the "liberated woman", the feeling of being left or abandoned is even stronger than in days before when we were restricted at least and enslaved at worst. But the good news is that we can make choices and we can pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off, and truly start all over again!
Thank you joanny, poemblaze, Scott, and Teressa for your encouraging and praising words.
Caribbean you give me hope that the techniques I use and the voice I've found are good and valid. Thank you for that. Gay
So true and as softly as she sleep, the shadows of the wine glass moves.. I liked it so much...
ReplyDeleteॐ नमः शिवाय
Om Namah Shivaya
I will great if you connect with me at Twitter @VerseEveryDay to read daily #FreeHaiku on love, life and longing
The whole poem never stumles....a lovely expressed sentiment that is all too true.
ReplyDeleteThank you for such a universal (to the human condition~) poem.
Lady Nyo
love lost is worse then love never found Thanks for reading and commenting on And binding with briars our joys and desires. Hope your week goes well.
ReplyDeleteHow well you portrayed that sad emptiness! Everyone has felt it, been there, done that. Some of the emptiness caused by the missing man - much of it caused by the empty glass; the brain reacts to alcohol's high - once depleted of the toxic substance, it takes three times as long to stabilize and get back to "normal." In the meantime, living with the depression is no picnic. Your image of the lady in the glass is so perfect for portraying all of this, and the words of the poem, especially, "In a morning's sigh be gone" brings back memories of those awful days of after the night before. Thank goodness the alcohol and the man are choices, not certainties. :) Beautifully written.
ReplyDeleteIts a beautiful poem..and so sad. touches somewhere deep down where I thought all was well..
ReplyDeleteDear Gay...A FINE artist you are, in MANY senses of that word--poet-musician-artist-artisan...
ReplyDeleteAs well as relating with "TRIO""..."WINEGLASS" also rings true as a happening in my life. More sad for me to read of another's than to experience my own...don't know why that should be.
NOW! GIRL! As to you 'gifting' me with the totally exquisite poem TRIO, I simply cannot write here the words which I wish to say to you--in a comment. You can probably 'hear' them, just as maybe you can 'hear' a Beethoven Piano Trio.
I already took the liberty of using the Aspen-Violin graphic for my desktop background--I inserted your name bottom left ON the picture.
If you would send me a blank email, I will show you the "Aspen-Violin" (with your name) and also I could properly thank you in words that would embarrass this old man to write in public (if anyone could ever believe THAT--grin!)
Steve E (steveroni)
Lovely work, Gay.
ReplyDeleteI loved this poem, it touched me dearly.
:)
Hi Gay! Tried to post comment on Amazing Grace but the comment box wasn't appearing... it evokes empathy and is written beautifully. You make the struggle come to life.
ReplyDeleteI can so relate to this piece, beautifully written, expressive and emotive. Great work ;)
ReplyDelete