A Thousand Words

A thousand words 

Cascade in my mind 

Trying to form an idea 

And find some cohesion 

For fifty years nearly 

I listened to your words 

And you listened to mine 

In conversation and discussion 

In debate and even arguments 

Neither of us having issues 

Saying how we felt 

Now 

Sixteen years later 

Our conversations 

Are one sided 

Our discussions 

Our debates 

Our arguments 

Are all memories 

Softened by time 

Rehearsed less frequently 

Then today happens 

Father’s Day 

A thousand words

Don’t even begin 

To say how much 

I appreciate all our words 

A thousand words 

Cannot scratch the surface 

Of how much 

I miss our words 

A thousand words, Dad 

To tell you how much 

I miss you 

I love you 

I still need you 

A thousand words 

Are never enough 

Happy Father’s Day 

© Ron Simpson Jr. 

June 18, 2023

Words Which Don’t Fit

Every now and then

I throw together some words

Which rise above the rabble

And turn out pretty fucking amazing

I share them liberally

Because we are all searching

We are looking for recognition

Acceptance in some form or another

We get it most of the time

From our family or close friends

But when our insecurities roar

We are sure it is just obligatory

Then when some random person

From one of dozens of social sites

Tells us our words spoke to them

We get that momentary high

Sometimes, they will rave

Using words like brilliant

Amazing or awesome

We revel in it

But it doesn’t seem to fit

We know we are not

Not brilliant

Not amazing

Not awesome

We live our lives

We see through our eyes

We speak through our lips

We know where we are short

The words don’t fit

They hit us and bounce away

We smile

Even the pain is recognition

Amazing or shit

It doesn’t matter

They are words spoken

About words I’ve written

They are words

Which do not fit

But they are words spoken

About words I’ve written

And that

That’s pretty fucking amazing

© Ron Simpson Jr.