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Writer's pictureStephanie Daich

HOW LONG -Poetry by guest author W Roger Carlisle





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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