friends

The end of an era

~ ~M ~ 8 Comments

We have but one journey,
and the path is never straight.

We think we have lots of time,
but like sand, it can’t be held.

We learn after the goal is complete
that the end is really the beginning.

We realize all of our joyous moments
have been happening all along.

We discover that the journey
was never about reaching our destination.

We notice all the people we’ve met
were never there to stay.

We feel bittersweet and unsettled
by all the things we’ve accomplished.

We are grateful for the sunset
reminding us to live in the here and now.

© 2025 Michelle Cook

Photo generated with AI

Separation sufferances

~ ~M ~ 10 Comments

Being separated from the ones you love is a lonely place to be.

I suppose some may never understand what this is like, but I believe most will know this feeling well.

I have had enough of this torture to realize that we don’t get to decide how or when we will be separated.

There are even those we love who will never be able to grace our paths no matter how long we yearn. 

The distance from those loved ones may as well be a trip to the moon.

These are life’s true tragedies, and the heart cannot comprehend why this is the way it has to be.

It’s especially difficult during a dark night, one void of loving arms and reassurance.

We cannot then comprehend the reality of our circumstances.

That’s when the heart realizes how truly alone it is and suffers in silence as it mostly always has.

These are the sad truths that often live inside us all.

Few speak of these sufferances, but that doesn’t make them any less painful.

The only way to survive the distance is to reach out as much as you can, sending deeply felt “I love yous” and sincerely honest “thinkings of you.”

© 2025 Michelle Cook

Photo generated with AI

I can’t remember you

~ ~M ~ 37 Comments

I forgot you
You made me forget you
And now
Whenever I think of you
I can’t remember
Why I’m thinking of you

I think a piece of my heart
Has a muscle memory of you
But my mind can no longer be sure
Your memory flitted away
On a day long ago
When there was nothing left to say

I have this vague recollection
That you once mattered to me
But maybe that was only a dream
The more I try to remember
The more I forget
And the pain I once felt is finally gone

© 2024 Michelle Cook

Image generated with AI

Oblivious observations

~ ~M ~ 16 Comments

It was a warm-weathered day as delicate petals pelted and pranced across the pages of an open book. Occasionally, a brisk breeze would materialize, causing a sudden soirée of flowers to take flight, ultimately embellishing the barren pages, which seemed particularly peckish for a poetic phrase. It was as if the tree were purposely parading posies in an attempt to gain the attention of the writer below. But the wordsmith was lost in a world of rhythmic ruminations, never giving the tree a single thought, focusing solely on the stark landscape of her inconsolable book. Had the writer even an inkling about what the tree desired to divulge, she may have taken a moment to meditate, soaking in the silent secrets of her friend above. But as this wasn’t the case, the writer continued to stare blankly, utterly unaware of the many mysteries that were longing to be revealed.

© 2024 Michelle Cook

Photo credit: https://pixabay.com/photos/tree-cherry-field-horizon-nature-6623764/

Some people…

~ ~M ~ 19 Comments

Some people
are perpetually sad
it’s hard to talk to them
they might get mad

Other people
are always happy
they’re easy to love
and make others sappy

Some people
are just hard to figure out
one minute smiling
the next it’s a shout

I like the people
who are easy to read
you always know exactly
what they need

I struggle with people
who can never share
It’s really hard to tell
if they even care

My favorite people
are the laughing kind
they know just how
to help me unwind

My least favorite people
are the constant complainers
they suck out the satisfaction
and are endless drainers

But I think overall
people are mostly great
some can be crabby
but to most I relate

© 2024 Michelle Cook

Photo credit: https://pixabay.com/photos/people-women-talking-laugh-happy-2567915/