How long does it take to make a wall?
A wall of bricks, stones, plaster, insults,
grudges, hurt and disrespect.
A second of distraction by a phone
A frown in the memory of past arguments
A shrug of disbelief
A nod of pure disgust
A sudden flicker of broken glass
A familiar groove of prejudice and hate.
Could you build a fort 20 stories high?
Would it keep the worries
on the other side?
Keep out the loneliness and panic
of sitting in darkness,
alone in your room?
There is a quaking, something trembling
as you sit alone.
A pot that wants to boil
A distant star exploding.
Memories of lost tenderness,
times of joy, rumpled sheets,
a bud that slowly opens.
Hold the fragile moment
Embrace yourself
Forgive.
____________________________________________________________________
How Long
by W Roger Carlisle
BIO-
W Roger Carlisle is a 75-year-old, semi-retired physician who volunteers in a free medical clinic for impoverished patients. He is journeying home for a better understanding of self through poetry, hoping to find humility in the process.
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