Four poems from the new book by Eric Williams, MD
There is a connection Which if we are lucky and attentive That we all findIn a person whose heart and mind beats in rhythm with our own
And when one of those hearts ceases to beat and the spider's web is tautDeath hath not the strength to break a bond so tender and so strong
Time cannot hush the one whose voicewill echo in every room we enter with answers to questions we have not yet askedDeath will not erase the feel of that gentle touchnor the silence and the calmNor break the web of time
Photo: The western nighttime sky over Folsom by Eric Williams, MD
A teenage man seeksa dream and the three AsAttention, Admiration, ApprovalHis motto is...'Watch this.'A man in his 20s seeksbeauty and charm. A body with legs on two feet.His motto is...'Show me what you have.'A man in his 30s looks inward.He sees himself and asks,Am I good enough?His mottos are...'How can I be better?' and...'Tell me what you want.'A man in his 40s looks aroundand sees his place in this world and the people around him.
He knows his path and his power.His motto is...'I can and will make you happy.'A man in his 50s is at the mountaintop.He sees backward and forward,reflective and intuitive.He has the experience of the past and feels the rhythm of the world.Its heart beating in unison with his.His motto is...'One last chance to...'A 60s-man glances backward and sees the trail he has left behindand asks ‘How will I leave the world?’He no longer has a mottobut lives ‘That Day’ and the next.
Each one is an unopened gift,That day to enjoy.With eyes open he sees more clearly and is a witness.With ears attentive he hears the said and the unsaid and understands.Mouth open he tastes the foods and the kisses and enjoys both. He inhales deeply to breathe and to smell. With his heart now opened wide he feels joy and sadness and regret and shame and longing and knows what it is to be alive.
Final preparationGrueling weekWorkouts long Practice, practice, practice
Quarterback looks downfield Receivers look for separationRunning backs look for lanes behind blockersDefenders mark their zones
Defense...Man to Man...Zone Blitz...Sack the quarterback…
Special teamsonside kicksinterceptkick return…poison, poison.
Big DayGame On
National Anthem sung Coin tossKickoffDefense takes the fieldBattle beginsI see the run comingI have a lane to the quarterbackBreak-away run option playI can catch him ...game on the line
I look on ImmovableSilent
Game marches forward on that cold December nightshadows lengthen under bright game lights30 seconds to game end They could win with a field goal with 10 more yardsNeed a stop Defense step it up
I am a worrier I stand on the lineUpright and not setLong count...hold for the snap
I stand on the lineWatch the quarterbackSee the center forward twitchFilm, film…Quarterback sneak comingI stand on the lineUnmoving, unspeaking
Yellow one, yellow oneHut 1, hut 2, Snap
I speak but my words are not heardI run forward but do not moveI defend a block but the lineman does not move
Play action,Line pulls left and defense followsExcept for the outside linebacker...my positionYeah We got this did he hear me The Ghost
Quarterback sneakI follow him and take him down after 5 yardsWhistle blowsGame overVictorious
The crowd and the team coaches celebrateI can hear the song by DJ Snake and Lil Jon'Turn down for what'
I stand immovable on the sideline The Victorious Ghost
“Ghost on the Sideline” is dedicated to my son, an outside linebacker. He studied film, attended all practices and games and supported his team by assisting the coaches even after a career-ending injury in his senior year. He was present for the championship game in which his team was victorious. — E.W.
The world around me is a good place.I have spoken with my children and they listenedAnd while they spoke,I heard that things were tough and uncertain but...they were hopeful.I saw resilience.They put me in a good place.
I exchanged text messages with a friend today.She has started a family and had a baby boy...7 pounds 4 ounces.Now, ten days older and one pound heavier.A boy, a beautiful baby boyBoth parents are happy and hopeful.They too put me in a good place.
I am listening to some of the most amazing voices perform while my wife crochets or knits;(I don’t know which).We talk about the children and their plans for their future and of plans for ourselves.The voices are varied, plans are exciting and choices challenging and pregnant with possibilities.But there are no bad choices…... Only a good place
Perspective Matters: Life in Poetry, Prose and Photography can be purchased on Amazon.
