A dream

Once shared by many

Destroyed by a few

The constant struggle to distance ourselves from the past

Never to learn from the mistakes of those who came before us

Tearing apart the last reminders

Destined to follow the same path as our ancestors

We must change

Rise against the hate we see every day

Creating a better existence

Not only for us but for those that come after

We should never forget

But rise from the ashes and soar

© Kristen Ricketts 2017

Photo from pixabay

Storm clouds gather on the horizon

Gradually moving forward to cover the sky

Shading the earth from the sun

Lightning strikes

Throwing the landscape in a blinding incandescent glow

The storm rages closer

Like two Gods fighting

Deafening roar

Crying out, warning all of what’s to come

Waves crash against the sand

Dragging remnants of the landscape into the black void

Slowly eating away at the topography

Creating a permanent scar along the waters edge

An endless cycle

© Kristen Ricketts 2017

You forge down the path set by others

Fighting against the befallen curse

Unable to break free from the chains

Destined to continue down the desolate trail

Gazing across the tracks to where you want to be

Unable to make any progress against the restraints

The endless struggle

Against the unchanging tides

The constant exertion wearing you down

At the point of oblivion

A bright light comes into view

Forever changing your fate

One day you will look back at this bare, trampled ground

Covered by nothing more than the worn footsteps

And reflect on what got you to where you are

© Kristen Ricketts 2017

The wind blows
A constant breeze that rustles the tree branches on the horizon
Outside the window a bright day waits
Inside, nothing will be the same again

A woman lays there, clinging to exist
Half a lifetime filled with pain
Bones brittle and knotted
The shallow breaths become few and far between
Only the gentle rise of her chest the indication life is still present in her body

The last petal from the black rose silently falls
As she is taken from this earth before her time
Relief, rage, despair all wash over those standing around the bed
Finally she is in a place without pain
No longer struggling for one minute of peace with a body that fought so hard against her
Though she will be missed, she’s finally free

© Kristen Ricketts 2017

Almost 3 years ago I lost one of the most important people in my life. Since then, it has been almost a daily struggle to understand why. Until recently, I faithfully repeated “it was for the best” over and over trying to force myself to believe these simple words. The Black Rose is my way of letting go of the anger and finally accepting one of the greatest losses I will ever know. You will forever be missed ♥