Porcelain Time Poem by Robert Burgan

Life behind the yesteryear
The cracking frame is mine
Pictures plastered chronologically
They are clear as day, I fantasize
Slowly leaving present tense
Walking through my world on a tight rope stretched across the miles between reality
And the regrets I haven't made up for yet
Time was the precious porcelain; I let it crack in my conflicted hands
Never knowing how important it was to utilize each day that we had
I think about you constantly
I can't forget the day you died
I was numb and I was broken, I felt the time period slip like a waterslide
It was over for you
It was the end of a chapter I didn't want to conclude
But you'll live forever, I promise
Deep in the pits of my heart
Every step forward I choose to use
Begins with you
Day by day I watched you decline, your mind was always working
I stepped inside your memories every now and again to visualize the conflict
I to, was always searching
I'll be confined to memories and analyze the years
You'll be as free as a spring wind
I know how much you loved when that season appeared.

Hoping I took the best care of you I could
Porcelain time shattered in my hands
Gone for good

I miss the dogs on the couch with me
Rolling and wanting to wrestle
I miss you sitting on the other side of the room
Watching and laughing
Calling me 'a nut' as a smile re-assembled
One specific time comes to my mind when I think of the final days
It was the time you were sleeping soundly
It was in the latest stage
You couldn't remember where you were at all
You seemed to remember Lisa and I only
I woke you up from a deep sleep with a plate of deserts
You woke up, looked at me, smiled and said 'oh my god cannoli's! '
That might have been the last time I saw you smile
It might have been the last time we shared a laugh
It pains me to think of my state of mind at your funeral
I was numb and I couldn't even find a way to react
So I sat in the Church nodding off dreaming of yesteryear's passed
Hugged the family, said 'goodbye' and went home
They invited me over but I couldn't go back
I visualize that empty couch
You spent hours time travelling there
I travel back to yesterday
Praying for one last moment to share
Consider this my closure
It seems like it's been so long
I just need to remember how much we needed each other
For me, the time period I cherished is gone.

Hoping I took the best care of you I could
Porcelain time
Shattered in my hands
Gone for good.