It
was
.
t
h
e
.
tumble
–
–
before
.
t
h
e
.
fall . . .
–
–
–
.
.
.
~ the
.
g
r
a
y
.
before
.
t
h
e
.
dawn
.
o
f
.
awakening . . .
–
–
–
.
.
.
~ the
awakening
.
t
o
.
this . . .
–
–
–
.
.
.
a
n
d
–
–
–
all . . .
–
–
–
.
.
.
a
n
d
–
–
–
everything . . .
–
–
–
.
.
.
I
–
–
–
had
done
–
–
to
you . . .
–
–
–
.
.
.
to
me . . .
–
–
–
.
.
.
to
everyone . . .
–
–
–
.
.
.
who
might
.
h
a
v
e
.
lived,
.
a
n
d
.
laughed,
.
a
n
d
.
loved . . .
–
–
–
.
.
.
a
n
d
–
–
–
there
.
w
a
s
.
no
one
.
a
n
d
.
nothing
there . . .
–
–
–
.
.
.
n
o
t
–
–
–
even
.
a
.
shred
.
t
o
.
share . . .
–
–
–
.
.
.
f
o
r
–
–
–
I
.
h
a
d
.
gone,
.
.
f
a
r
.
.
beyond
.
t
h
e
.
reaches
.
o
f
.
despair . . .
–
–
–
.
.
.
~ far
beyond
.
t
h
e
.
beaches
.
o
f
.
the
thousand
.
y
a
r
d
.
stare . . .
–
–
–
.
.
.
~ far
beyond
.
t
h
e
.
valleys
where
.
n
o
.
one
dared . . .
–
–
–
.
.
.
far
beyond . . .
–
–
–
.
.
.
far
beyond . . .
–
–
–
.
.
.
far
beyond . . .
–
–
–
.
.
.
a
n
d
–
–
–
no
.
o
n
e
.
cared.
Reflection: This was a forgotten personal struggle-themed poem that I wrote back in December of 2018 where the contemplator looks back with regret on a life where he/she created distance and largely lived in isolation – and wakes up to a loneliness and despair which is far beyond repair. He/she lives the remaining days of life haunted by the painful strings of memories of everything he/she had done to arrive in that state. I played the wonderful, haunting gem of a song “Tuesday Afternoon” by The Moody Blues in the background to create the “moodset” for the poem. If you listen to the song at low volume while reading this poem, you might better get the “feel” of it.