John-Ward Leighton

LOSSES

When do we start winning again?

The year of our Lord 2009
was one of disappointment and loss
and we wished for the new
and the realization that
we must be careful
what we wish for
it may not be what we want or need.

When someone dies that we love
something within ourselves
also dies
all the conversations we never had
all the laughter we never shared
are not to be.

All our history now compressed
into a single memory
and memory is not always true
but that doesn’t matter
its all there is
its all we have
and we struggle on.

I can list the losses
my Mom, my Dad, my sister,
my ex, many of my dear friends.
I can list the wins
first having the privilege of knowing all those
I have lost
and my son, my daughter
my grand children
my daughter in law and my son in law
and my brother and sister
and friends still standing.

I win every day in the interchange with my friends
and my extended family.

No need to mope
‘cause being a mope
is being a dope
when
I’m a very lucky man
even with all my
losses.