an unsigned contract
you’ve religiously followed
expecting rewards
but the life that you’ve wasted
may have been the true reward
self-sacrifice
the days of wine and roses…
when young we’re spendthrift
using our days to purchase
the dreams of others
but life’s depreciation
soon leaves no funds for our dreams
the final etching…
each day
he entered
his studio
like
a man
pushing his way
onto
a subway car
back arched
with
determined steps
and
each day
he followed
the same routines
he arranged
papers
and
pencils
for
his
personal project
then
proceeded
to do
the commercial
etchings
that paid the bills
taking small breaks
to make
sketches
for his
real
artistic project
but
turning quickly
from
such daydreams
to
the real work at hand
by day’s end
he had erased
the sketches
never good enough
the years
soon
took their toll
on his hands
and
he retired
was
a winter’s morning
when he entered
his studio
inspired
by a night’s vision
he began to sketch
what
had escaped him
all these years
he was found
slumped over
an
unfinished drawing
always some day…
she like a flower
beneath demand’s long shadow
hasn’t had light to bloom
lover’s endeavor…
copyright cwmartin 2012
as love’s ship sets sail
failure its destination
when sailing alone
