A Ledger, a Father, a Child

Responding to Friday Writings #243: By the Numbers









We waited for one baby step,
one tooth, one word, and one birthday.
One became two, and two became four,
and soon came the first day of school.

We counted grades, scores, and years,
and counted our failure in each crush.
Then came paychecks, houses, and more,
and we kept counting what came next.

Now it is time to count eighty candles,
having mastered the art of counting.
We counted everything around us,
except the moments we were living.

Now I look back at the ledger,
wondering what I could not count—
the days we missed laughing together,
the hours we could have loved more.

Inappropriate Laughter

This is in response to the prompt Friday Writings #226: Inappropriate Laughter

In the school assembly line, 

as the message of the day was read,

she remembered something funny.

In the silent classroom,

while the lesson moved on,

a dog chased its tail in her mind.

When friends grieved a defeat,

old jokes somehow returned.

They made her giggle in place of tears.

At a candlelit dinner,

her partner shared his troubles,

an awkward kiss brought a smile.

That mind no longer wanders.

Somewhere along the long road,

strange things happen to us all.

When The World Lowers Its Voice

In response to Optional prompt : write about the time of day you like best, and why.

Image generated by Gemini

When The World Lowers Its Voice

Life is not for us to control.
We don’t choose
whether there will be quiet—
or company.

It isn’t easy being a man.
A caring husband.
A loving father.
A productive worker.
Sometimes,
a traveler to faraway lands.

In my homeland,
I chase the light.
I cherish each moment
that makes up the day.

When I am alone,
the night belongs to me.

Because the day—
has been sold
for a few dollars more.

At night,
thoughts arrive
without urgency.

Silence sits beside me.
It does not judge me
when—

I am the writer.
The poet.
The artist.
The philosopher too.

The world lowers its voice.
So do I.

And nothing asks me
who I am,
or what
I should become.