Unrehearsed

The calendar has spoken

It’s time to write
I’ll put out some worms
Maybe something will bite

What is it that people
Really want to read
Better yet
Is there a stirring that I feel

The painful bandage
That has been ripped off
My 17 yr marriage
Has been both good and tough

10 months of separation
Parallel being a survivor
As the year has progressed
I am happier and wiser

The 30 years
Of recovery from jones
Has put new marrow
Into my bones

Sometimes I see his face
In a passing car
I look right through his shades
And see a cruel prison guard

In 1978 with a loss this great
Nothing made sense we could surmise
Things had to be tossed overboard
So your personal ship could survive

To reclaim our lost parts
And to defy the fear
If van gogh could have done it
He would still have his ear

Valuable lost parts
Come in every size and shape
Creativity, humor,
How ‘bout being hopeful for pete’s sake?

This poem may seem flippant
But that’s not how I feel
As life has moved on
It’s about the meal

I try to eat good thoughts
That are hopeful and without blame
So when I fall asleep at night
What gets better is my aim

(Andy Silver, a former member of Peoples Temple, is now a divorce and federal mediator in Charlotte, North Carolina. His complete collection of writings for the jonestown report may be found here. He may be reached at andy@resolutionexperts.com.)