Inspired only by the words "unexpected guest" in an e-mail from a friend. I knew there was a poem in there, not knowing about the Agatha Christie play of the same name. As I wrote it, I didn't know who would be behind that door. I was as surprised as anyone.
Cloaked with robe
A mysterious messenger
Arises
In doorway
Holding the key
Of the great mystery
To all the universal gifts, eroding the rifts
Bringing balance, reflection, harmony, all of our best
Who is this unexpected guest?
Entering the door
Who is this one here for?
Taking a seat, the suspense grows
Removing the hood
All is understood
As if in dreamscape
As if by miracle
By fate
Beyond the realm that carries enmity, anger, hate
Beyond separation
Here in full unification
The end of anticipation
The presence, our visitor
Alone
But joined in history’s thread
To those I would love, honor, fear and dread
With repeated removal of garment mask
Revealed at last …
My first friend
Who ran and jumped in puddles
Along with me
Wild abandon, wicked, mischievous and free
Reminding me of everything I need to be
My first schoolteacher
Who gave me smiley faces and knew me well
Somehow
Wanting the best for me
To go beyond the “S,” and earn that “E”
My first fight
The bully who would try and get me in headlocks
Steal my Pop Tart
My milk money
Until a crazed monster flew out of me
And stood my ground
For my safety … safe and sound
My first girlfriend
Who recognized something in me, anyway
A heart beating
A feeling fleeting
Before time and tears washed it all away
My first heartbreak
Sitting still, staring off, glazed eyes
Wanting this not to be real
The cracking earth, the letter, the goodbyes
Echoed in the memory of each love torn apart
An education in the will of the wind … and the will of the
heart
My father
Buying Slurpies
Playing catch
Watching ballgames
Attending graduations, celebrations, presentations
Without a word
That ellipses within communication …
A timetable of subtle and silent support
My mother
Looking back to her the first day of kindergarten
Making sure she is there
And will remain
Ever present, ever loving, ever strong
For all time
Even after the pain
And the hospice … and the final kiss
Upon forehead
My wife
Standing side by side
We ride the wildest ride
Learning of connection without compromise
The holy instant grasped in fingertips
The haven that is a holy relationship
My life
Who I need to be
Striving for the excellence of a report card “E”
With a heart known no matter what
Surviving the deepest of the deepest first cut
In silent support found within
A look back in memory where it all could begin
The holiest of holys – we stand face to face
In the presence of the people I have come to embrace
Every character in this play
Made me who I am today
With or without iambic meter
The rose could not be any more sweeter
Every one of these revealing something of myself
Something to take down, in time, from high upon a shelf
As I place everyone and everything, finally to rest
Revealed at last …
The unexpected guest
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