by Clarence Reese
My life has known sunshine, has known rain.
A life of little joy linked to an abundance of pain,
Washed in a bird bath of tears I have caused to be shed,
Who blew out the spark leaving no light up ahead?
Roaming, cold, sweaty, walls of ink dripping tattoos and raw scars,
Why do memories fade into dreams lost upon waking up behind bars?
Near the shadow whose figure leans tilt, it has slip
Sways handicap, without a mast, my life, a handicap ship
Drifting in a sea of waves far from home, far from port,
Toss by mistakes, the current is strong, the anchored to your support.
Stand, not I alone, for I alone would fall.
In our shadow I find comfort in behind your protective wall.
In the dust trampled under countless feet,
Is a life with no hope on its road to greet.
Never lost for your sister are a compass in my life,
A hope that dulls life’s unrelenting knife.
On the edge where I’ve lived and pitched my tent,
I thank you, sister, for the love and care you’ve not relent,
As I ask and reach at time for more than you can spare,
I, thank you, for your sacrifices and support which make life easier to bare.