A man looked me in the eye today. Right up close and personal without speaking. Stared into my soul to see if there was anything remotely worth saving. I returned his gaze without flinching unsure what would be his next move.
Then I felt his mind combing mine for traces of good. His lips remained shut but I heard him say clearly and softly, “There is so much good in you, yet you have felt sadness such as many will never know in a lifetime. There is great compassion and understanding in you. But if you truly try to love people more, they will respond to you with such warmth.”
But I do love people, I began to protest... Well maybe that isn’t strictly true, I thought. No in fact, if I’m honest I detest most people. There are five I like, two I like a lot and three I love. Can I love more? Yes I think I can at least try.
I pulled my tie straight as I looked my reflection in the eye. I thought of those I love and felt my eyes smarting with tears. I would find them all and tell them today, that would be a start.
*****
'I got so much good in me,
Why can’t anyone but you see?'
Why can’t anyone but you see?'
Hope of the States – Sadness on My Back
7 comments:
very nice. i like what you've done here. i'm going to add you to my link list on "the paragraph novels," hope you don't mind.
"Winter time winds blue and freezin',
Comin' from northern storms in the sea,
Love has been lost, is that the reason?
Trying desperately to be free"
wintertime love - the doors
Beautiful PV. Dont know if this is apt here but heres a verse from a favourite song of mine:
"And if sometimes I feel in retrospect
A regret for the waste of my youth
Then I pause to reflect that I still have time
Before growing long in the tooth
To achieve all the things that I should have achieved
When idleness led me astray
And being aware of what I have missed
I'm extending my use of the day."
On Growing Older - The Strawbs
This is a great piece. Perfect.
Guys you're all very kind indeed. Sitting here this evening and logging on to find these responses has left me feeling humbled.
Superflywebpimp I am honoured to nestle into the links list of your stunning "Paragraph Novels" and hope you don't mind that I have linked to you too. The Doors indeed, those words are so emotive. As you've seen, I take inspiration from music the whole time.
Grace feel free to quote song lyrics. Those words on ageing and wasted time from The Strawbs are so desperately poignant for you (and me too of course.) Only a truly great lyric condenses complex thoughts into a few lines or a short phrase. The 2 lines from Hope of the States were my starting point last night.
Mere Existence, the only Random Scribe I know! Thanks so much for your support. I have taken the liberty of linking to you and am very grateful for your reciprocation. I've been rummaging through your archives I have to admit.
I want to write something here, but I can't find the words.
Let me help you look for them. I know they're here somewhere - wait there they are: "I love you."
That's right! You took the words from my lips, "I love you".
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