#241 A Morning Full Of Mourning Poem by Jimmie Arrington

I dreamt a dream that Fate was here
And whispered secrets in my ear
Which caused my doubts to disappear.
Why did I ever wake?
She spoke to me like royalty,
Like someone extraordinary,
Someone I can’t and couldn’t see.
Could it be a mistake?

Though unsure of her intent,
I gave my hand and off we went
To a pier with soft aquatic scent.
What could her purpose be?
Beneath the pier the water laid
As still as time in a forest glade.
This was the place her point was made,
At last blind eyes could see.

She motioned toward a tiny boat
Within a fog, thick and remote.
Inside a man sat with a note
Sealed in a bottle tight.
Slowly standing, he closed his eyes
And whispered solemn, sweet goodbyes,
Then tossed the bottle toward the skies,
Vanishing into night.

Disrupting the calm water flow,
He sat back down and began to row
Back to his life full of sorrow,
Back to his misery.
Once to the shore, he stepped to land
And wiped a tear with his bare hand.
Familiar eyes helped me understand:
The wretched man was me.

He walked to the edge of the pier
Where he grabbed a large metal sphere
And with a look of defeat and fear,
He lowered his weary head.
Saying goodbye, just like before,
He jumped. He couldn’t take anymore.
And after he sank to the floor,
I was instantly back in bed.

Then Fate explained that I had seen
My future life, cruel and obscene,
If I don’t change and become clean,
If I don’t heed her warning.
The tender, final words she spoke,
Cleared my mind of Confusion’s smoke.
With that I suddenly awoke
To a morning full of mourning.