… and then we wake up and we live.
We walk out into the sun filled day because we can,
because we should,
because we are.
Because the knife you threw didn’t do the job,
and me, like an idiot, I keep handing it back to you,
“Try again”, I say.
“I’m still here”, I say.
… and then we wake up and we live.
We leave behind the old thoughts and feelings,
we turn toward the new year,
we face it,
screaming at it,
“I’m still thirsty!”
Staring deep into the facade of words and we cry.
… and then we wake up and we live.
It’s coming so fast,
there is no stopping it and why would you?
I’m tired of caring.
I’m tired of isolation.
I’m tired of trying.
I’m tired of wishing.
… and then we wake up and we live.
We walk out into the path of the speeding day.
We breath in the fire that consumed a dream.
The renewal should happen soon,
waiting here for it,
like a flash of light,
a change.
It matters to us all.
Apologizing for what I never did.
Drowning in the thoughts because we are, all of us, apart.
… and then we wake up and we live — because you’ll laugh if we don’t.
.
.
Check out One Stop Poetry!
I won an Award! And… I’m thrilled, follow this link to check out other awesome poets.
First Pages 
“We walk out into the sun filled day because we can.”
Love this. Keep walking. Keep living. JCG
Thank you Julie, it really means so much to me when I see you here. I’ve so enjoyed your blog (I’ve been lurking).
Thank you for coming here and commenting!
Bob Dylan once said “you don;t suffer for your art but you do suffer for relationships. So you just live man, just live”
Your poem took that notion and ran with it for several touchdowns. Very good read, Becky. Happy New Year.
Wow. Thank you — I love Bob Dylan.
That means so much to me, your comment. I appreciate it more than you know.
i’m going with “ditto to what lance said.”
I’m glad you’re here — I get very giddy when you’re here.
Thank you!
I continue to be in awe of you. Your words show your bravery, resilience, you are pure love.
I hope I’m brave and resilient and have love — I hope. 😉
It’s easier with friends like you around to be honest.
Thank you!
Wow. All of life right here in this post. All of life wrapped up in a poem that both breaks my heart and sets me free.
And I had to smile, at the thirsty line, because of this:
http://www.mrsmediocrity.com/?p=1691
your writing is incredible here.
Wow — I’m completely blown away by your comment. I admire your writing so much — I’m just so humbled by this response.
Thank you — going to check out your link right now.
I’m using this word a lot today, but this… sigh. This is truly EXQUISITE. I shed a tear and I rarely cry. ‘Tis okay. I think I needed it. Thank you.
Wow! Thank you. I’m so taken back by the response to this one. It means so much to me when people read the words and can relate to them — it’s just mind-blowing sometimes.
I truly thank you for coming here and taking the time to read and to comment.
“Because the knife you threw didn’t do the job,
and me, like an idiot, I keep handing it back to you”
That says it all for me, the best and the worst of life in relationship. Stunning. Thank you!
Thank you Thank you Thank you.
Relationships can be so beautiful and so scary and worthwhile and draining — all of it I guess.
I’m so glad you came here and read and commented.
… and then we wake up and we live.
I believe this is going to be my new motto. ❤
Mine too. Starting right now — easier to write it than to do it. 🙂
Doing it!
Oof. Straight into and through my heart. Gorgeous.
Thank you very much for the oof! I’m going to start oofing more — I like the sound of that.
Thanks for coming here and reading and commenting!
Nice read Happy New Year
Thank you!
Happy New Year to you as well.
Will you please accept now that you are a poet, as well as a writer of prose? This is stunning.
“… and then we wake up and we live”
Very powerful, b.
“Because the knife you threw didn’t do the job,
and me, like an idiot, I keep handing it back to you”
I think that describes every romantic relationship I’ve ever had and too many friendships. You describe it perfectly.
Hoping that 2011 is a great year for us all. Love you. *Sparkly Hugs*
Ha! Umm, no — not just yet. But maybe in the new year?
Thanks Dani!
Remarkable way to start the day. Loved this so much! Thank you!
I’ll do this everyday if it starts your day out the right way! 😉
Thank you Joanne!
welcome in…
hope that you have fun…
love your blog,
the way you convey your message is beautiful…
🙂
Thank you!
[…] https://bsain.wordpress.com/2010/12/28/and-then/ Reply […]
Life goes on, but each day we wake up is a new day. Love your jigsaw puzzle on your blog.
Thank you for taking the time to come here and read and comment!
Each day, a new day begins — so true, and so thankful for that.
You know what, this is one of the best poems I have ever read.. Here is mine, ! Wishes !
Happy Rally !
Wish you a very Happy New Year 2011..
–Someone is Special–
Thank you! Wow! What a great way to get to know someone! 😉
I’ll be visiting you right now!
Just amazing, so full of depth and a little bit of despair mixed in with what life is all about. You did a bang up job, I agree with SIS that this is one of the best poems I have read this year. A perfect way to sew up the last bit of 2010!
Thanks for sharing and thank you for your visit to my blog!
Thank you so much for this amazing compliment — I feel so humbled.
I’m so glad to have found your blog and so glad you came here — thank you.
wow. i am speechless. i cant even begin to tell you how this touched me. so bold and powerful. raw and HUMAN. Bravo!
Happy Rally!
Kellie
Thank you! That is such an amazing thing for you to say — I’m so honored and humbled to be here and getting this type of response.
Thank you so much for taking the time to come here and read and comment — it means so much to see people here!
Wow, that was great! It really rang true for anyone whoever knew someone in a bad or abusive relationship.
Happy New Year!
This is one of the reasons poetry fascinates me… it can mean something different to everyone and you’re always right. I hadn’t really thought about an outside relationship until some of the comments, but that does make sense. I think I was thinking more about inner conflict — being nice to ourselves, accepting ourselves, loving ourselves.
Thank you for coming here!
This poem is stunning — wow!
And I too thought of a relationship – a marriage where two people meet and struggle and do it all over gain and meet and struggle and do it all over again because –” then we wake up and face the day.”
and when we have children and bills to pay and mortgages and commitments, — we wake up and face the day.
Wow — great poem.
I’m so grateful you dropped in to visit me — it lead me here! I’ll be back.
Thank you so much for coming here!
How could I not visit your site with a name like “recover your joy”? — awesome!
Relationships are tricky, aren’t they? Some are well worth the fight.
Thank you.
This so good. Great work!
JP
http://tasithoughts.wordpress.com/2010/12/29/new/
Thank you — I really appreciate you coming here and reading and commenting.
Thanks for the link — I’m off to read you!
So many textures and layers to this poem, what a great read!
Thank you!
I truly appreciate your response.
Wonderful. You caught me right away with
” Because the knife you threw didn’t do the job,
and me, like an idiot, I keep handing it back to you,”
and I remembered all those times…
Thank you.
Thank you so much!
That makes me smile to read your comment — so thank you!
‘drowning in thoughts because we are, all of us, apart’
fabulous poem.
Thank you! I appreciate that so much.
“And then we wake up and we live” EXCELLENT work!!!
http://words4afriend.wordpress.com/2010/12/01/a-place/
Thank you! I so very much appreciate the response and thank you for reading and commenting!
simply loved the last line…what a beautiful expression of emotions…
Thank you! Isn’t that life? A beautiful expression of emotion, sometimes all in the same line. 😉
nicely done!!
but my breath went away by the time i read this 😛
happy new year!!
Happy New Year to you as well.
I’m hoping your breath going away is a good thing — in this case. 😉
Beautiful read!!!!! Life should can throw us curve balls and we keep going at it again and again and again…
Nice, thanks
http://lynnaima.wordpress.com/
Thank you. Thanks for stopping by on this New Year’s Eve!
A powerful drama of inner dialogue! Like a reality check… when dreaming is simply not enough for the thirsty inner spirit! A challenging piece of creative writing!
Wow. That’s an amazing comment — thank you so much!
A perfect poem for a brand new year.
…and then
we wake up and live.
Well done,
http://timkeen40.wordpress.com
Thank you… Let’s hope the New Year conforms.
Loved the message and the poem.nice
Thank you so much for taking the time to come here. I am looking forward to visiting your site —
thank you and Happy New Year!
we wake up and live because we are… 🙂
i too am a mother of 3.
http://rrel.wordpress.com/2010/12/28/stand-still-now-precious-moment/
Thank you fir stopping by. Yay for 3 kids too! Keep us busy, don’t they? 😉
…and then we wake up and live.. we all do, coz there is a fight inside of us that says we need to live 🙂 no matter how many daggers thrown at us.
lovely poetry.. wish u a happy and prosperous 2011 🙂 and have fun at the rally week too 😀
Why The Hesitation? My Poetry For Rally Week 36
Thank you very much for the kind words and your time!
Another Kindred Spirit, welcome. Continue to write about that which is real… Great write; Great!
Thank you — I try to be real and write about real emotions. So… we keep trying I suppose.
Thanks for the encouragement!
Happy New Year to you.
cut out…run now…live now
powerful poem here…
Thank you very much for your kind words. I truly appreciate the response… it’s very affirming.
and then we wake up and live…when you become tired and overcome with life it’s time to wake up and live. Loved it. When you need a friend, reach out a hand, and live. Real emotions touch the hearts and emotions. Well written.
Thank you for coming here! I reach out my hand a lot… and sometimes I even avoid getting it slapped. 😉
Thanks for your time.
Your poem touched me very much, because we do wake up and we live, because…well…what else can we do?
Very good description of life! 🙂 I loved it!!!!
Exactly… right?
Thank you for this comment — it means more to me than you know.
This was just what I needed for the New Year! A fantastic, affirming piece!
Thank you so much. It’s what I needed too. 🙂
That was really beautiful and powerful thank you so much for sharing.
Thank you for taking the time to come here and leave such a nice comment. The support I’ve received on this poem has definitely affected my psyche in a positive way, thank you for being a part of that.
Exquisite.
I almost cry.
Thank you to your visiting.
Thank you, truly, for the gracious support.
wow! mine for this thursday: http://fiveloaf.wordpress.com/2010/02/14/hunger/
Thank you for the “Wow” and the link. 🙂
This is great. I think everyone can relate to this poem and I know I can.
It is great. Thank you for sharing.
Thank you so much. Something really connected in me as I was writing this one… maybe the thoughts of renewal I hope to have.
Thank you for your kindness.
[…] First Pages: https://bsain.wordpress.com/2010/12/28/and-then/ […]
[…] First Pages: https://bsain.wordpress.com/2010/12/28/and-then/ […]
Wow, this poem has a lot of comments! I identify with so much of this.
“I’m tired of isolation.
I’m tired of trying.
I’m tired of wishing.”
We’re so tired, Becky. But we go on. Because we must. xoxo
Yes… we keep going. Sometimes 1 step forward, 2 steps back. Sometimes 2 steps forward and 1 step back. As long as there’s some forward movement, I think we’ll all be okay.
Thanks Allison xoxo
Beautiful writing! Quite a touching poem and the last few lines are quite moving.
Thank you!
I truly appreciate your response.
Thanks for reading — hope you make it back here again.
cool
Thank you.
Simply.beautiful 🙂
Thank you!
I have been so blown away by the response to this particular poem… I feel so humbled.
congrats on your perfect poet award wk 36.. here’s mine again for this thursday haha.. http://fiveloaf.wordpress.com/2010/02/19/the-tears/
Thank you. I don’t think I really understand the perfect poet award thing but I’m thrilled to have it!
Thanks for the link.
you know the link, right?
this is a special honor, many poets take it seriously…
what you do is:
insert the award image into a poem, such as this one,
mention that you got the award from Jingle, thanks to the poet who nominated you, and
you wish to nominate a poet for week 37 perfect poet award,
you have visited poets for week 36, thus you must like one poet, or nominate one poet you know who might be interested in taking the award and have fun….
Okay… let me go try again…
snap. that is a brilliant write…i can resonate with the feelings in each of these…was there recently…woke now…and i struggle with hoping the knife never comes again…nice one shot…
Well I have to say that your “snap” just put a huge smile on my face (on a day when I needed a smile!)
Thank you!!
i love the dylon comment you realy did it up i love what it envoked in me and how i related to your words thnx great read !!
Thank you so much. I have needed to come back to this poem the last day or two… I greatly appreciate your support and comment!
Good chorus; from the beginning, it brings us in as if to a story underway, while its repetition resonates a hope, a desire, a necessity that is not just for one person…but for humanity. We get up and we live…cause what is there if we don’t?
Strong, touching work, easily relatable, as the many comments here do attest. A powerful and thoughtful dialogue, richly textured.
Thank you so much for this comment.
I think it’s a universal theme — we all fail at times, we all need to learn at times, we all need to keep moving and seeking to improve.
Thank you.
I stopped reading the other comments because they we taking away the feelings that you pulled out of me. I write and read all day and when something hits me as strongly as this one did I have to stop and reflect and breath before I can respond. Saying all that to say this, (from the movie Avatar) “I see You”.
Wow. Thank you Bugoloo. I’m humbled by your comment.
Dear Becky
So beautiful… your lines were so interesting.. I could relate to it so much…
“… and then we wake up and we live.
We walk out into the path of the speeding day.
We breath in the fire that consumed a dream.”
Thanks for sharing…
ॐ नमः शिवाय
Om Namah Shivaya
http://shadowdancingwithmind.blogspot.com
Twitter: @VerseEveryDay
Thank you so much!
[…] … and then, […]