Picture courtesy of Jennifer Pendergast
This photo has such layered depth, the possibilities are many on which path to take. I chose poetry.
Word count: 106
Seasons
A leaf falls slowly to ground,
the earth turns and
I’m surprised
that this can be the case
without you.
Stars come out,
the moon rises,
the sun does its daily dance
through the sky and still
you are not here.
Once you were the center of my universe,
the sun to my orbit.
I looked to you for all things,
my breath rising and falling in time with yours
all good resting in the hollow of your shoulder.
Seasons slip by and I feel their loss,
wondering how they fall away
while I drift on
sliding away from shore
like a leaf on the tide.
© Erin Leary
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erinlearywrites 
You chose wisely, Erin… Deeply moving and beautiful. You’ve really tapped into the loss of someone we love. Excellent!
Dear Erin,
The sense of loss and emptiness in this poem makes it hard for me to breathe. Stunning. Even the extra six words have their place.
shalom,
Rochelle
What a wonderful tribute to lost love.
Beautiful. That is all. Really beautiful.
Dear Erin, This is such a beautiful poem! To me, not all poems deserve a top notch rating – but yours does! Such a loss for the author and it makes a huge impression on the reader. Excellent job of putting the words together to write a beautiful poem that floats on a sea of paper with ink as it’s wind! Lovely, poignant, and just beautiful! Nan 🙂
Dear Erin,
I have a good memory, but it’s short, however, I must venture to say that Seasons was your best work ever here. Wow. I will be rereading your poem and I think that you should think about submitting it to a poetry site for further accolades/reading by those who know. I only know that it made my heart ache and soar simultaneously. Wow again.
Aloha,
Doug
Very sweet poem, almost like a sad lullaby, it has a certain sway to the rhythm of the words. A lovely lament.
Such a gentle sadness.
The picture called for a poem.. (which is probably why I refrained from it)… but this was tender and melancholic like those autumn leaves shimmering in the sun.
Beautifully done. Needs to be read and savoured. And what wonderful start:
A leaf falls slowly to ground,
the earth turns and
I’m surprised
that this can be the case
without you.
Erin, There isn’t much left to add. It’s lovely in the extreme. You caught perfectly the feeling of what a survivor goes through after the loss of a loved one. —Susan
Wow. I was moved. Yes, after reading the comments above I can only echo them and add, amen.
Lovely 🙂
Exceptionally beautiful poem, tender, nostalgic, gentle…You touched a very well hidden corner of my soul.
I love the emotion poured into this poem. I dare say that if you sent it further afield, you would receive more praise on it. It’s really stunning