di Veronica A. Shoffstall

Dopo un po' impari
la sottile differenza
fra tenere una mano
ed incatenare un'anima.
E impari che l'amore
non è appoggiarsi a qualcuno
e la compagnia non è sicurezza.
E inizi ad imparare
che i baci non sono contratti
ed i doni non sono promesse.
E incominci ad accettare
le tue sconfitte a testa alta
e con gli occhi aperti;
con la grazia di un adulto,
non con il dolore di un bambino.
E impari a costruire le tue strade oggi
perchè il terreno di domani
è troppo incerto per fare piani.
Dopo un po' impari
che il sole scotta se ne prendi troppo.
Perciò pianti il tuo giardino
e decori la tua anima,
invece di aspettare
che qualcuno ti porti i fiori.
E impari che puoi davvero sopportare
che sei davvero forte
e che vali davvero.
E impari
e impari
ad ogni addio, impari...
 
 
© 1971 Veronica A. Shoffstall
 
 
 

After a While

By Veronica A. Shoffstall


(Author's note: This poem has been plagiarized, bastardized, renamed,
reworded, redesigned, expanded and reduced. But it is my work, which
I wrote at the age of 19 and had published in my college yearbook.
Why anyone would want to claim it is beyond me, but for what it's
worth, I wrote it, and if I'd known it was going to be this popular,
I'd have done a better job of it. - V.S.)

After a while you learn
the subtle difference between
holding a hand and chaining a soul
and you learn
that love doesn't mean leaning
and company doesn't always mean security.
And you begin to learn
that kisses aren't contracts
and presents aren't promises
and you begin to accept your defeats
with your head up and your eyes ahead
with the grace of woman, not the grief of a child
and you learn
to build all your roads on today
because tomorrow's ground is
too uncertain for plans
and futures have a way of falling down
in mid-flight.
After a while you learn
that even sunshine burns
if you get too much
so you plant your own garden
and decorate your own soul
instead of waiting for someone
to bring you flowers.
And you learn that you really can endure
you really are strong
you really do have worth
and you learn
and you learn
with every goodbye, you learn...


© 1971 Veronica A. Shoffstall

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