“An Ending Begins”

Standing on the edge looking back—   

            So many decisions gone wrong   

                        So many decisions proved right   

                                    No way of tracing patterns   

            The child longs for easier ways—   

                        Rainbows, buttercups under the chin   

                                    Seeking security   

                                                Returning to the womb   

Standing on the edge looking ahead—   

            So many unknowns   

                        So many possibilities   

                                    No way of seeing patterns   

            The youth longs for challenge—   

                        First love, free falling from the sky   

                                    Embracing life  

                                                Escaping tight bondage   

Standing on the edge looking inward—   

            So many “what ifs”   

                        So many “if onlys”   

                                    No way of changing patterns   

            The elder dreams on of new beginnings   

                        Second chances, another step into sunshine   

                                    Gathering warmth   

                                                Longing to be young again   

Copyright 1996 Elizabeth Abrams Chapman