Home   Home

Turning Points

by Maureen Glaude

When did the beginning start to end?
Was it in that moment
we first touched the bud
or when we felt the blossom
at the headrush of our love?

Remember how
our fingertips, on the verge
of initial joining
shied away
trembling?

Straining to complete the circle
we never let the gold ends meet,
never saw the finality
but foresaw it, surely.

With my same hands
that lovingly planted their bulbs
I decapitate
the newly-finished tulips
preparing them
for --- re-birth?
In the moment
of their death?

When does the cycle begin to close?
Potent promise of ovum and sperm
Abruptly washed away, in useless release?

In early summer, the aspen leaf's chlorophyll
quivers toward the change
even as her lush foliage
boasts of greenness.

Our brightest sunshine
knows it will abandon us
to the dark within hours.

Does death originate at birth?
Birth at death?
When starts the transformation
of mother becoming child,
the son, taking on the burden
for his sire?

Is writing out my pain
a step toward my closure
or a retreat to some old innocence?

You and I hadn't even danced together yet
or tried those paths we'd mapped,
the dreams still pouring from our eyes
when the leaving started.

Oh, I wish I'd never anticipated
a timeline for our moments.
but honored the embryo of their simple 'now'
for all its gift.

When did the ending start to begin?

10/01/1997

Posted on 03/31/2007
Copyright © 2024 Maureen Glaude

Member Comments on this Poem
Posted by Rhiannon Jones on 03/31/07 at 05:32 PM

I was compelled to log in, to say, simply, Wow.

Posted by Tony Whitaker on 03/31/07 at 05:53 PM

Maureen, another powerhouse of a poem. So much introspection and melancholy. You write so well that you feel compelled to want more... Another one for my faves!

Posted by Rhonda Maneki on 03/31/07 at 06:33 PM

"When did the ending start to begin? " a very powerful thought. This is a lovely piece Maureen, I'm reading it again. :)

Posted by Chris Sorrenti on 03/31/07 at 08:30 PM

Powerful...profound piece of introspection. I vaguely recall reading this sometime ago, but has much more impact now in light of events in my life over the past few years. Excellent work Maureen.

Posted by Michelle Angelini on 04/02/07 at 03:18 AM

Mo, this is sure a study in contrasts. Not only that, it opens many avenues of thought. The circular nature of life is expressed in everything around us, so this is also true of love and relationships. Glad you reposted this, since I hadn't seen it the first time.
~Chelle~

Posted by Christel Crews on 04/02/07 at 04:22 AM

such a beautiful piece! it brought tears to my eyes! its full of simple truths that ring so deeply!!!

Posted by Kristina Woodhill on 04/03/07 at 02:31 AM

I also love the contrasting beginning and ending lines. A fine development of this cycle of life and of relationships, some that hardly get off the ground before they fade. I certainly relate to the questions asked here.

Posted by Mara Meade on 04/03/07 at 01:38 PM

exquisite in the questioning...

Posted by Tom Goss on 04/03/07 at 06:32 PM

The essential heartmatter of the beginning question of this poem is, by the poem's end, sown into the fecund orchard of our blistered-but-cherished humanity. And what more can one ask for than the opporunity for growth?

Posted by Elizabeth Jill on 04/08/07 at 04:57 PM

Does every moment immediately leave for
the next,
and the next,
and the new next?

I love deep questionings —like this poem. —J

Return to the Previous Page
 

pathetic.org Version 7.3.2 May 2004 Terms and Conditions of Use 0 member(s) and 2 visitor(s) online
All works Copyright © 2024 their respective authors. Page Generated In 0 Second(s)