He flung the rope 

over a branch of a tree

And fluttering down

came a few dead leaves

 

He watched them rest

upon the cold, crisp earth

And cursed his mother

For his wasted birth

 

This year of pandemic

Had him stripped to the bone

Made him jobless & useless

A bear in his home

 

Frustration begat anger

And anger begat fear

Unable to provide

For those he held dear

 

And in this age of want

A child's rosy view

Is a reality star's life

What they have, they want to

 

And his wife's weary eyes

Cast shadows in his mind

He no longer saw the love

Nor the promised ties that bind

 

So, he tied a solid knot

Climbed half way up the tree

Put the noose around his neck

And took a breath to see…

 

...the forest, calm and still

As if time had stopped to view

The spectacle of him swinging

from the rope, with neck askew 

 

But, a deer trotted near

And a fox and birds appeared

And they whispered in his ear

Let go of all that fear

 

You're no different from us all

We all struggle, we all fall

Trapped within our family's thrall

To provide and walk on tall

 

Change can come and take us

Hunger & want can break us

This tenuous life forsake us

 

But, these are things that make us

 

You are stronger than you know

Part of life's ebb & flow

Once again, you'll find your glow

And help your family grow

 

Time to breathe...

 

And the crisp wind returned

And the animals fled

And he tried to take stock

Of the whispers in his head

 

And he looked up to the sky

To the sea of vibrant blue

And watched the fleeing birds

Tinged with golden hue

 

And the sun felt so warm

As a butterfly danced on breeze

And a gentle distant buzz

from vibrating wings of bees,

 

reignited a faltering flame

extinguished within his soul

Now, slowly returning

To, once again, make him whole

 

He took a moment of thought

Then, gently, removed the noose

Felt the warming sun

Let the rope swing loose

 

Climbed down to the soil

Inhaled the fresh, new air

And knew, that for his family

He would, now, always be there

 

And as he walked the pathway home

He knew that life could go astray

But, that after every darkness

There dawn's a brighter day