"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