There Were Times Poem by susan brealey

There were times I looked with wonder, at everything I found,
A rock, a shiny marble, a bug upon the ground.
And often I'd be scolded, because the street was near,
But I knew it came from love, and perhaps a bit of fear.

There were times when I was nervous, like when I went to school.
Children see the smallest thing, and children can be cruel.
But children, they get older, and it was a huge surprise,
When I noticed something wondrous, in a young girl's eyes.

There were times I was afraid, crouched down in a foreign land,
And sickened by the things I'd done, with my once, young hand.
Friends were made and sometimes, lost, it was burned into my head,
That life was such a fragile thing, and dead was really dead.

There were times I barely can recall, when oft I'd drink strong wine,
And college days were full of pranks, and jokes to fill the time.
But those times ended all too soon, while mom watched with a tear,
As the Dean said aloud, in front of the crowd, 'You are an engineer.'

There were times when I was full of joy; I'll remember all my life,
The day the preacher told me, this woman was my wife.
And then not long thereafter, when my head was in a whirl,
The doc who warmly shook my hand, 'Congratulations, it's a girl.'

There were times when I was prideful, when I knew that very soon,
There would be a thing I had actually touched, resting on the moon.
I remember times of sadness, my mom's eyes filled with pain,
And I knew inside, soon was the time, I'd not see her again.

There were times of peace and quiet, and I'd sit with my sweet wife.
Our shaking hands would softly touch, as we talked about our life.
And more was said, unspoken, than ever was aloud,
As we let our gazes wander, to a glowing, sunset cloud.

So now the trail behind me, is much longer than the one ahead,
And I'll have to grin, as the lights grow dim, dying in my bed.
Because a song will play inside me, a song of endless rhymes,
I know this chapter's ending, but, there were times, oh, there were times.