When gradual, it allows people to accept developments they would otherwise refuse to countenance. There are numerous examples of this in modern society.
When sudden, change can be cataclysmic and the following poem attempts to illustrate this.
Happily, it’s not based on personal experience.
PHONECALL
We watched a small boat on the lake:
oars dipped and rose, oars dipped and rose,
and strollers, happy, I suppose,
went by, each blind to our heartache.
We held each other, did not speak
too numb to search for words to soothe:
instead, embraced the dreadful truth
and, in truth’s loveless arms, grew weak.
An hour ago, we laughed and shopped,
drank coffee, waited for a bus,
then came the call that murdered us:
Time slowed, then stalled.
Now time has stopped.
and strollers, happy, I suppose,
went by, each blind to our heartache.
We held each other, did not speak
too numb to search for words to soothe:
instead, embraced the dreadful truth
and, in truth’s loveless arms, grew weak.
An hour ago, we laughed and shopped,
drank coffee, waited for a bus,
then came the call that murdered us:
Time slowed, then stalled.
Now time has stopped.
Richard, you say; 'attempts', I would say; succeeds. Quite excellent, thanks for sharing it.
ReplyDeleteThank you, John. It's always uplifting to receive positive feedback from a fellow writer.
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