Tuesday, May 24, 2016

Hesitation was a potent element

                                                                                         Attribution:  Adam Hague
Image: MLMM's Photo Challenge (here)

Dawned on him it was a mistake
He could have acted fast
Though others deemed it as unfortunate
How was it allowed to happen, he asked

He could not forgive himself
That was what happened
He fought against the distress
Hesitation was a potent element

He had to live with it
It shadowed his every movement now
His waking hours or his disturbing sleep
He could see it in his dreams, he vowed

The friend was in the water struggling
The maroon shawl wound mysteriously
Around the neck in a choke hold strangling
Could have jumped in but not, regretfully

A good swimmer he should have
Not a picnic to retain such a conscience
But to be borne solely now on himself
A sad farewell to a good friend

MLMM's Photo Challrnge #114
For ABHRA's at d'Vserse's  -  unintended farewell
Susan's at PU's Midweek Motif  -  picnic

18 comments:

  1. Oh, this is sad, Hank. That would be a very difficult memory, for sure. Sometimes a moment's hesitation is all it takes, for an unexpected outcome.

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  2. Sometimes just thinking for a second can mean all the difference, not always positively either.

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  3. This is very mysterious with a haunting feel to it.

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  4. too often this happens, what should be happy events, suddenly turn to tragedy.

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  5. Oh, no! What a nightmare! The replay requires super human strength to move on. Each of ours is different, but it exits and haunts (Mine is a bench collapsed when I flounced down on it, and a teacher's back was broken. Horrible.) Good that your poem speaks to others who are trapped in a loop.

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  6. This is so sad! Beautifully poignant.

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  7. Sad indeed. Good poetry with excellent imagery though. :)

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  8. Definitely no picnic to live with that thought! Nicely done on the double prompt!

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  9. Oh what a sad poem. No picnic at all.

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  10. Oh what a sad poem. No picnic at all.

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  11. ouch...right moment slips without notice...

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  12. Hesitation can often prove fatal in many ways - cleverly written Hank :)

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  13. Oh the heartaches of "what if" and of "if only". We replay those scenarios over and over, despite the fact that we can do nothing to change them.

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  14. A powerful and regrettable tale, well written. Though in reading it seems safe to say you wish it weren't so! Quite the poem, Hank!

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  15. Oh goodness.. thiS noW
    reminds me of supervising
    a crew of lifeguards as Athletic
    Director of a Military Installation..
    i didn't go into that line of work
    for potential liFE or Death
    situations i miGht be
    responsible
    for..
    but that
    does come
    wITh experience
    i guess.. and so much
    harder when you are
    actually drowning in
    whatever may come in LiFe..:)

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  16. Oh this was sad... To stand by the side and see it happening...

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  17. That picture haunts me! A very sad tale Hank.

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  18. great contrast to the image that the word picnic usually conjures up.. fine and unusual take

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