Writer's Showcase
FIVE
At this point, five, while it’s still dark,
The past can be discarded, all its hooks
And razors pushed behind. The future
Remains out of view, still formless, not
The thing which soon will have its
Hand upon my throat. I stare out at some
Distant lights, and drink the day’s first
Cup of coffee, wishing that I had the means
To keep away the light.
© Lawrence Beck 2022
Born 68 years ago in Florida, I grew up in Bellevue, Washington. My childhood was unexceptionally suburban. I knocked around quite a bit after finishing high school, bouncing from college to college to trade school to crummy jobs which allowed me to live in poverty in Seattle. Eventually, I got married,
moved to the Midwest, and picked up a couple of college degrees. My wife and I ended up in Omaha, Nebraska. We have four grown children and four grandchildren. After having assembled statistical reports for an electrical utility, written online and hard copy analyses of financial markets for credit unions around the nation, and taught economics at the local community college, I now work part time at a discount store.
Yopu can see more of Lawrence’s poetry at this link:
https://www.poetbay.com/poetHome.php?writerId=3876
My! How sometimes this would resonate with me, Lawrence!
So well described.
It says how the writer thinks and plans about his past and future. But here, it shows that the writer has some uncertainty of his future. This conveys how people think about the past and future in daily life within a few lines. However, as humans we have to accept our past without regret and face the future without fear. And the most important thing is handling the present with confidence. Whenever we focus the mind on the present moment, we can live in peace.
A perfect summation, succinct and spare, of the bleak acceptance of living another day. This could not be bettered!
How we think abiut the past , present and future differ from one person to another. The writer tries so much to explain the reality he is facing and the dilema that is upon him. I love the expression of words and how he presented the idea.
This is very relatable, let me give an example, when we were in school and we had our exam and we weren’t prepared we wished that something might happen and the exam gets canceled, could something save us from the exam? It is life we fear the challenges but we don’t have any other option other than facing them. Everything passes, the day comes after a dark night, and sunsets and darkness come back. change is constant. Neither the bad time will last forever nor the good time. Excellent writing, so few words but such a big thing you have said in it.