Blue Mountain Arts Poetry Contest

When
by BV Lawson

THirty-Eighth
Contest
first Place

When we started down that road together,
and had no idea where it would lead,
having each other and not much else

When it didn’t seem to matter
because it was a thrilling adventure
stretching out, new and fresh, before us

When the road formed a few bumps,
the twists harder to navigate,
and we worried we might lose our way

When we hoped a wrong turn here and there
wouldn’t end the journey, only make it a challenge
to take us places we’d never even dreamed

When the storms came, with the drowning tears
and the lightning rage of the why, why, why
for a child who would never grow up, grow old

When it was too much to expect rainbows
after the storm settled down and the light
fell upon the scattered pieces of our hearts

When perhaps we should have tried harder to
find a new road to follow,
and a new destination to explore

When you left on your own path,
and I stayed on mine, and
the rainbows turned to grays and browns

When you found your way back,
and brought with you the music of our days,
and now we sing together once more

When we look back on that distant road
and wonder how we ever got here,
knowing we can never return

When you breathe your last,
and an angel takes your hand,
and I count the days to see your face.

About the Author

BV Lawson won her first contest at the ripe old age of 10 when she was required to write a poem for an assignment and felt lost. So her librarian mother (who'd already given her a book of Edna St. Vincent Millay poetry) told her to write about that—being "Lost," which was the title of the poem she ultimately wrote. She has been in love with poetry ever since. You may learn more about her work at https://www.bvlawson.com/poetry.