by Steve Tanham
When the settee to the phone
Is half-hearted … and alone
And you ring it back,
but only in your mind
—-
If you sit and hold the minute
And the people who aren’t in it
And wonder how to harvest
Passing time
—-
Does a ghostly alter-presence
Steal your silenced effervescence
And delightfully rehearsed
Excuse or ten?
—-
When your eyes refuse to leave the phone
And sticky stillness of the known
In the quiet of the lengthening
Isolation?
—-
But you’re really only frozen
On the path so wisely chosen
In the moment that checked out
Not long ago.
——
From the ashes of confusion
Rise the sheddings of delusion
And the in-breath of a greater you
That sails upon the new.
———-
©Stephen Tanham 2024
Image by the author.
All photos taken and processed on an iPhone 12 ProMax.
Stephen Tanham is a writer-photographer and mystical teacher. He is the founding Director of the Silent Eye, which offers an exciting journey of the soul guided by lessons, inner experience and outer companionship.
There are two blog streams:
(mystically-oriented writing)
and
(general interest, poetry, humour and travel)
Sun in Gemini 
I’m not sure I understand this poem, Steve. Is it about being alone at Easter?
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Hi Robbie. No, it’s not about Easter at all. I wrote it a week ago. It’s a reflective moment when a person has terminated a relationship with a friend and doesn’t want to go back – symbolised by not picking up the phone 😎
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Now you explain the story behind it, it all comes together.
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Thank you, Di. I’ve always (mischievously) believed that poetry should weave its own trail of partial mystery!
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Me too
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This one was a mystery, Steve, but I get your explanation from the comments now. Had me thinking – good rhythm.
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Thanks, Michael!
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