THE JOURNEY
Words, ANGRY Words,
Shatter like bricks through a plate-glass
Window.
Each word a body blow,
An assault on the senses.
ATTACK; DEFEND;
COUNTER-ATTACK
Then Repeat…
The Door Slams Shut.
He’s gone again,
No doubt to some of his so-called “Friends”
whom we’ve never met.
Why can’t he see?
Is it really just me?
Why won’t he understand?
His life’s in his hand.
Lies and deceit,
hopeless despair.
The old friends call no more.
He’s never at home,
seems only to roam
in a drug-induced haze.
Fired from his job,
now school is a joke.
The POLICE called last night,
a parent’s worst fright.
The pattern seems clear,
it’s the outcome we fear.
The marriage bed has gone cold,
each had withdrawn to a safe place.
In survival mode.
Deep down in the trenches.
Where can we go?
Even the experts don’t know!
But what of this place,
A school far away?
It seems out last change
To save a life gone astray.
A 14-hour drive,
Through the endless, black night.
Lord, give us the strength,
To keep fighting the fight,
And entrust to these strangers
This most precious life.
The ride ends far too quickly!
How can we let go?
The parting pain is SO GREAT!
Like childbirth, yet worse,
With no hugs, no more words.
We release him to their care.
Yet through the grief and the tears,
A spark of hope emerges,
Reflected in the eyes of the staff.
Theirs is no mere job;
It’s a CALLING.
To change young lives forever,
Is truly their life’s mission.
The heart already knows what the mind
Cannot face,
God has truly brought us to a far better place!
Returning home,
Back to the reality of a silent house,
A child’s empty room.
Yet a room overflowing with sorrow and
Bitter confusion of the lost.
How could we have been so blind,
To have missed the sign?
We are breathing again,
Alive, but not awake.
Others question our plan,
As just another mistake.
In moments of weariness doubt creeps back in.
Again comes the refrain,
Now we know he is safe,
We can sleep free of pain.
The Family Rep is our lifeline,
Our new best found friend.
Dan’s an angel from heaven.
How can one so young, be so wise?
His words bring comfort,
But also a challenge!
You mean we have work to do?
A tough-love commitment letter.
He coached us through,
But the words almost seemed to author
Themselves.
The written word
Is our only link.
Letters become a lost art re-discovered.
Writing brings calm and clarity.
Our words echo support and encouragement.
His are cries of anguish,
Pleas for mercy,
Nightmare images.
How could we abandon him?
The silence is deafening.
Now on to Discovery,
A new task to complete.
Our ticket to a promised reunion
Sometime in the distant future.
The agenda defies logic;
The days far too long.
Let’s cast aside our doubts
And learn a new song.
The instructor,
A Man Mountain Force of Nature
Presents himself as a Marine Sergeant Major
In GQ attire.
His name is Duane.
His words have the sting of harsh truth,
As they enter my brain.
Some choose to share,
But I wouldn’t dare.
Until one stands up and he so young,
Reveals his pain of conditional love,
A parents love withheld.
In a flash of awareness realization dawns,
As the tears roll down my face.
In his pain he surely knew,
What I’ve only just now discovered.
It’s time to arise and begin anew!
No words of love unspoken,
No more promises broken,
My letter is short, yet the message is true,
Only these few words: GLENN, I LOVE
YOU.
In the darkness of the room,
With all tears washed away
A rebirth from the womb
Of a Magical Child, so innocent and true,
Now we remember and see
How it all used to be.
As we turn to depart
We leave with full heart,
Of the storms that we’ve weathered
Of friends newly gathered.
Secure in the knowledge we are never alone,
With new found strength and support
And a dawning reality of possibilities barely
Imagined.
To begin creating what once seemed
Unreachable.
A Family once more,
United in love, trust and honesty.
The journey’s just begun,
Yet it seems we’ve come far.
Yes we’re so richly blessed
To have been given this chance
To sing life’s love song,
To once more dance the dance.
Dick D.
Son Glenn D.
Attended Carolina Springs Academy
Posted on December 3rd, 2007 by admin
Filed under: PARENTS | 6 Comments »