A Measure Of Saving Grace...For You Poem by r james sterzinger

Too little sleep
Too early rising
It's what I blame it on
Too many relatives coming through the door
Too early an hour.

On the way to a rare
Saturday church service
I cross North Minneapolis
In my red Grande AM
Listening to Charlton Heston
Reading Hemingway.

Harry is dying
Reflecting over a life
A life spent...
A life wasted.

As I pull up to the chapel
Walk up the driveway
A line comes to me
'He went to the chapel that morning
To save his soul
He knew he needed saving
He knew it was in his best interest
He didn't know if he cared, anymore.'

A good line
Not a great line
But it fit the morning
It might make a good opening
For a good poem
Maybe even a great one
No, just a good one.

I reminded myself to write it down...

After the service
I had coffee with a friend of mine
Told her about the line
She said, 'That's despair.
Despair is a sin.'
She smiled.
Despair, left
Her smile took it.

Would have made a good opening line,
But the truth be told,
I'll take a measure of saving grace...
Anytime.