I once knew a man...

I once knew a man…
By Tara Reber

I once knew man who’s life was so tainted
An abstract image is what his life painted

He dashed all his hopes to seek new means of existence
In one hand he kept knowledge in the other was persistence

His eyes were hollowed by the lack of rest
Each chapter in his life concluded with a test

The lines on his face had their own explanation
He was in need of help but had no expectations

Only speaking when spoken to; He said what he could
Hoping someone would hear him, though nobody would

Praying to the lord to link him to his past
His future took hold and went by so fast

His head clouded with images of memories
Taken by the way they blend in so splendidly

As he stared at her picture he cracked a smiled
I could tell he hadn’t seen her in a while

His torn garments wiped the tears from his face
He knew without him she was in a better place

From the way he spoke of her she was his world
No matter her age she’s still his baby girl

He told me how she disappeared in his embrace
And how he used to put a smile on her face

Fighting back tears when he would say
That her smile would disappear one day

Her heart wouldn’t let her overcome her disappointment
The harmony between them would one day be disjointed

He led his life to the demands of his addiction
That would later lead to the event of his conviction

To this day he can’t help but wonder
If she still gets frightened at the sound of thunder

He wishes he could be there to hold her when she needs him
He knows that the odds of the chance are quite slim

So he is left with pictures in his mind
Clips play continuously of the world he left behind

Then one day he gave it all up
That day he wasn’t there sitting on the bus

It got the best of him; The life he came to know
His body found lying face down in the snow

In mind my mind; for him I live out his dream
If his hopes hadn’t been washed upstream

I wish I knew the name of the stranger
Who’s whole life was fueled by danger

Only few know how fortunate they are
The rest of the world is wishing on a star

I pray now he is finally at rest
He will never know of life at it’s best.