Arrival
In memoriam Sandra Petrek
It is mete and fit for journeys to end;
for the train to pull into the station,
for all tired travelers to disembark.
Let us imagine them gathering now
in a fine hotel, mere steps from the tracks,
where they can stop, unknot the tiredness
of the body, the fatigue of the mind,
rest for a moment alone. Soon, they shall
join those waiting, who traveled before them,
in the glittering dining room. Candles
will be lit, and glasses lifted in joy.
Reunion will suffuse their hearts like wine
filling a glass to the brim and beyond,
washing away even the memory
of pain. But for now, just for a moment,
let us imagine them pausing as they reach
final clarity, still content to listen
to us, to music we make from their names.
Leslie Schultz
For me, this has been an intense month, and the daily task of the poem steadied me.
My heartfelt thanks to all of you who were there for me this past April as readers. You know who you are! Your daily presence cheered me on each day.
In gratitude, Leslie
Hi Beth,
Thank you for all your moral and artistic support this month (and every month). It gave me a second wind to know I had you were among those reading these tentative new pieces. Leslie
Wonderful, personal, and a message that many would appreciate. Thank you, Leslie.
CONGRATULATIONS!!! So impressed with your accomplishment, Leslie! Well and beautifully done.
Today’s poem is heart-wrenching and seems, too, to be a final breath. So hard but so appropriate and somehow a sigh of life/work well done.
I so appreciate your steady and scintillating friendships. And I appreciate the way you have welcomed my work into your life.
May we continue to share!
This poem deepened for me as I read it over again. Thank you for sharing your poems with us this April. Brava.
Thank you, Leslie, for brightening my April in the name of poetry. I’m already hoping you will consider offering this gift to us next year. Your generosity in sharing your literary gifts is something for which I am so grateful. And I know I’m not alone. As you well know, my practice of reading poetry daily is directly linked to you. Thanks, my friend.