Blue Mountain Arts Poetry Contest

Sonder
by Cadence Gaul

THirty-Ninth
Contest
Third Place

Sonder
A realization of the people around you
And the lives they live

He was
On the bus
A man with a cane
And a strange mustache

He could
Have been going anywhere
But you like to think
He was going to a wife and 3 children
Waiting
For his return

She was
Pondering
A box of cereal
In the grocery store aisle

She could
Be thinking of a childhood long since passed
But you like to think
It was her fiancée’s favorite
And they could have it as a wedding favor

They were
6 teenagers
Wandering the streets past ten

They could
Just be
A group of young troublemakers
Looking for fun
But you like to think
They searched for a dog
Ran away
In the bustle of the city

A man asleep on a bench
Your hero of an ancient war

A school teacher taking the subway
Your forgotten mentor

A small child, alone
Your guide to a new life

A stray cat, in a crumbling windowsill
Blessed with powers of flight, but only on days with an average temperature between 55 and 60 degrees

An old man
Hiding wings under his large coat

You
Not lost
Not forgotten

A you that knows these people and their stories

A you that is just like them
Hiding secrets
Loved
Lost before you can be found
Searching