
I WILL BE FOLLOWING YOU, MY DEAR
I got the news
& I’m sorry I was not there
that final day
you closed your eyes.
When we met,
time lasted forever
did we care what time it was?
time tricked us
time slowly took our life energy
exchanging our time together
for money, more money, always
for more money
& we separated
not on purpose
just because work took us
different directions —
every few years we would
cross paths
I think it was meant to be &
I think God was trying to
get us together again
but money’s VOICE
became louder than God’s voice
and we would kiss & hug & plan
to get together . . .
then
months &
years passed.
Last year I saw a Christmas card
you sent
and I stopped
& wrote a long letter
on parchment paper
saying soon
we will get together
to spend our last days
together.
A friend of ours
wrote to me and said
you were thrilled
to read my letter
and planned to write back
as soon as she felt better
I waited . . .
days passed
weeks passed
then
your eyes closed a final time.
Our friend wrote again:
I needed to write to you
your address was on her envelope
I know she hoped for a future
together.
xoxoxoxoxoxoxo
Another time, another place
your arms will reach
for each other
& you will
finally become one.
__________________________
By Jim Wortham, May 1, 2023
I WAITED TOO LONG TO SHARE THIS
it seems like
it was going to be a long time
(if ever)
so
i never shared it . . .
HOWEVER, i may have a limited time
left
according to doctors
(TIME TRAVELS TOO FAST
AND I’M CAUGHT NOT KNOWING
WHAT OR HOW TO SAY THIS)
how do i share the news?
i don’t know
about
the weeks or months
i have left
i wish i told you
in the beginning
i’m not sure
when i won’t
awaken again
goodnight dear
goodnight God
(Jim Wortham, April 18, 2023)
Note: Some of my poems relate
to friends and relatives. They are
not always about me. / / /
I left my heart in bowling green, kentucky
shouldn’t
i have forgotten?
by now?
you borrowed a piece
of my heart —
we were
finishing college
we had one year to go
you left that summer
for a job at a national park
U never returned / / /
i’m here
waiting
still waiting
forever waiting
for your return
please return
to Bowling Green
with the piece of my heart
we
can
begin
where we left off
(Jim Wortham, April 8, 2023)
This is how it always ends
somewhere
(and always)
between
HELLO
&
GOODBYE
we are
in
LOVE . . .
this happens
over
&
over
//////////////
the
love
disolves
sometime
during
a long
period
between
hi
&
bye
///////////
it always does
&
i don’t
know
why
(Jim Wortham, January 1, 2023)
Am I Happy, Unhappy or Feeling Numb?
these days
it’s difficult to put an emotion
on my feelings
my health has taken a turn
doctors don’t have answers
my food is my friend — like
sardines (I cut the tails off before eating)
i select different types of crackers
making sardines tastier / / /
Mornings —
two cups of coffee with
creamer
while swallowing meds & vitamins
i see “balance of nature” vitamins
on tv advertising — the ads
almost guarantee one will feel
30 years younger or more —
guess what ?
no such luck
i’ve gone back
to cheaper vitamins i buy online
i also eat cheese — lots of cheese
with pickled boiled eggs
with a tad bit of black pepper
& hot sauce
makes for a good meal / / /
i’m trying to lose a few pounds
i’m told to exercise but i think
that’s a dirty word, isn’t it?
ok, i will walk, yes . . .
i’ll walk from the parking lot
to
where i shop at a store
yesterday i had energy —
enough to go to “dollar tree”
i bought cleaning supplies
i won’t bother you with the kinds or brands
i have a friend who brings me goodies
various kind of adult drinks in bottles
& diet drinks (name brand drinks)
he’s a good man
a really good man to be so kind to me
a long time ago i stopped buying
bottled water — is drinking tap water
from the water company so bad ?
my days are spent
reading books
sometimes watching TV
(but not much anymore)
i can’t seem to find any good things
to watch these days
books are my pleasure
oh, how i remember so many years ago
when i wrote and published
love poetry books
& traveled throughout the states
giving poetry readings at universities
& afterwards, being treated to wine & cheese
& other goodies to eat
by the facility
with students asking to talk
and hang around with me
yes, those were the good days
when book sales allowed me to
buy cars and a cabin beside a pond
and dine wherever my friends
wanted to eat
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> >
i’ll write more later
thanks for visiting me today
______________________
(Jim Wortham, December 14, 2022)
Published on WordPress —
Time . . . you are rushing me — TOO FAST!
years pass
i can’t stop them
i look up the ages
when my friends passed
i’m not there
yet
but time won’t stop
i beg time to slow down
but it only rushes
some reason
i think i won’t be here
for long ///
after contracting the covid virus
long term covid set in
i have no energy
i sit
most of the time
not wanting to eat
not wanting to leave home
not wanting to
call anyone on the phone
the covid may be the cause
as i am in the high risk group
let’s see if
i make it one more year
maybe i’ll keep a journal
just put a few lines a day–
i have the energy for 2 lines / / /
i read slowly these days
i’ve stopped writing
poetry & prose
i doubt if anyone
reads this
(Jim Wortham, December 12, 2022
Depression is knocking on my door for a place to live
it’s december
cold
depression keeps knocking
saying
“your parents are dead
your brother is dead
friends are dying —
let me be your friend now”
depression tells me
“get ready for your
time of departure
it could be anytime”
i try not to let
depression come in
but
this year is different
depression keeps knocking
at my door
day and night
(Jim Wortham, December 11, 2022)
I did not know you wanted to date me
if I had known
i would have
called & we would enjoy
laughter, kisses and
days filled with fun
i never knew you
thought of me
i thought
your beauty was for other guys
like sports players
guys with fancy cars
i had low self esteem
still do
i wish i had known
you sometimes looked
at me and sent mental thoughts
for me to call
for an evening out
(Jim Wortham, December 9, 2022)
Autumn is gone– life is almost complete
It’s time
i move on
my colors have fallen
like the leaves
long term covid
had stripped me
i have
stopped eating
can’t sleep
no energy
doctors don’t know
any
answers ///
i lose weight
i sleep late
and of course
don’t care about
about politics
it never matters–
the promises are broken
###################
the last few leaves
are falling today
soon
my energy will
be no more
it’s unusual to feel
losing the race
even those who
know me —
i feel
i turned off
they snap at me
if i say something
/ / / / / / / / / / / / / / /
the good book
says there is a
time for everything
now
i know what
everything means
i think winter is coming
and as snow
melts
it will be my
time to
melt
___________________________
(by Jim Wortham, November 6, 2022)
Thanks for the dance
i went to dances in high school
i danced
with anyone who said “yes”
i went to local schools
(girls at other schools
did not know
how shy i was during that time)
then college happened —
i never found
the perfect partner
then after college
i visited
dance clubs
& country clubs
with dance nights
to meet someone
anyone
to date —
time passes
and tonight i’m thinking about
all who i danced with —
i didn’t show
enough appreciation
for the lovely dances
+ + + + + + + + + + + +
now is better than never
if you and i danced
once upon a time
thank you,
thank you,
thank you!
+ + + +
and if
we meet again
“may i have another dance?”
and if we have never danced
and you see me
please
ask me for a dance
i promise to
thank you for your dance
(Jim Wortham, September 26, 2022)