Expectations

If I used the past
to draw a roadmap to the future,
I’d have expected the terrain
to be a salted earth disappointment.

Look, there’s Left Out Bay,
a bright jewel in the shadow of Half Truth Mountain.
And here I am,
the dot labeled Lone Traveler,
heading towards After Thought Lake,
waiting for the swamp smell to hit.

So I’m surprised
when the ground doesn’t give in under my feet.
The traveling doesn’t get lonely.
Even on days when I accidentally stumble
over Certain Doom Falls,
I see you’re sitting in the barrel next to mine,
arms raised, laughing and whooping as we go.

The future doesn’t look like the past at all.
Stupid map.

Process Note: This post is part Imaginary Gardens With Real Toads prompt, Let's Go Back In Time . 


Song Choice: A True True Friend from My Little Pony
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30 comments:

  1. Laura MorriganDecember 17, 2015 at 7:35 PM

    LOVE IT!!! SO TALENTED!

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  2. Debra She Who SeeksDecember 17, 2015 at 10:15 PM

    I love all your poems but this one really delighted me! The imagery of the twin barrels going over Certain Doom Falls amidst all that merriment will stay with me for a long time!!

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    1. RommyDecember 22, 2015 at 10:09 AM

      This one was a lot of fun to write. I'm glad you liked it.

      Delete
  3. cosmos camiDecember 17, 2015 at 10:53 PM

    Oh I like this. Great way to describe the landscape of your feelings.

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    1. RommyDecember 22, 2015 at 10:10 AM

      LOL, I started off with the idea of a cynical version of Candy Land (a game a lot of folks played in their youth or with young ones) and played with the ideas from there.

      Delete
  4. Kerry O'ConnorDecember 18, 2015 at 2:15 AM

    This is fabulous! I love how your map unfolded before my eyes as I read, and you the moving dot from then 'til now. I love the way you concluded. This is a unique piece.

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    1. RommyDecember 22, 2015 at 10:12 AM

      This was an odd mix of playful and sarcastic, but I'm glad it came together in the end.

      Delete
  5. Marcoantonio Arellano (Nene)December 18, 2015 at 4:37 AM

    interesting journey

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  6. Magaly GuerreroDecember 18, 2015 at 9:23 AM

    This is a garden of imagery, Rommy. I love the tone--how it makes me imagine the speaking frowning and probably talking with her hands... And the wild run "over Certain Doom Falls"? Priceless.

    So many stories (and bits of life) come to mind, while I read your poem... It made me think of every time I've heard someone (sometimes myself *cough*), saying, "We used to have it so much harder."

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    1. RommyDecember 22, 2015 at 10:25 AM

      I think so many times it comes down to how we see our experiences while we are going through them. What looks like Certain Doom Falls can be another ride at the amusement park, if the company is right.

      Delete
  7. FireblossomDecember 18, 2015 at 9:55 AM

    The last nine lines are so unexpected and so classic, not to mention funny. Love it.

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    1. RommyDecember 22, 2015 at 10:26 AM

      I am a rather silly person, and I think sometimes when I own that, I come up with some pretty funny stuff.

      Delete
  8. Maude LynnDecember 18, 2015 at 11:20 AM

    This is really charming! I love it.

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    1. RommyDecember 22, 2015 at 10:26 AM

      Aw! Thanks. It was a heck of a lot of fun to write.

      Delete
  9. AnonymousDecember 18, 2015 at 11:24 AM

    Wonderfully done...enjoyed it.

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  10. hedgewitchDecember 18, 2015 at 11:52 AM

    You paint a very idiosyncratic but familiar landscape here--I love the ending, where humor does not detract from, but rather enhances meaning. Really cool poem, in other words. ;_)

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    1. RommyDecember 22, 2015 at 10:29 AM

      It's hard sometimes to know when it's right to be funny in poetry. In real life I often crack jokes, especially if it's a "gotta laugh otherwise I'll cry" sort of thing. That sensibility felt right for this poem.

      Delete
  11. Sharon RawsonDecember 18, 2015 at 1:16 PM

    What a wonderful admonition to us all to leave the past behind and focus on where we are now! Your word play was just wonderful! This is a piece I could read over and over! Simply marvelous!

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    1. RommyDecember 22, 2015 at 10:31 AM

      *grin* I enjoyed writing it. Glad you enjoyed reading it.

      Delete
  12. brudbergDecember 18, 2015 at 4:19 PM

    I like that future can give surprises.. maybe we should walk without a map sometimes... Love those places on your map (and I think we have all searched for the ugly waters and the crumbled mountains instead of finding the sea of surprise.

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    1. RommyDecember 22, 2015 at 10:32 AM

      It's amazing how much the past can color our expectations, whether it has anything to do with the present situation or not. Yeah, once you see the map doesn't fit, it's better to ditch it and see what's really in front of you.

      Delete
  13. HelenDecember 19, 2015 at 10:32 AM

    Delightful!

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  14. Sherry Blue SkyDecember 22, 2015 at 11:15 AM

    Well, I cant tell you how much I adore - and resonate with - this poem. LOVE the sitting in the barrel ofdoom, laughing and whooping. LOL. Me, too.

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  15. Buddah MoskowitzDecember 22, 2015 at 7:50 PM

    This was a delight from first word to last. Loved this and I wish you every happiness in this holiday season in the new year, love from Moskowitz the Humble

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    Replies
    1. RommyJanuary 2, 2016 at 8:44 AM

      I hope your holidays were good too! Thanks for stopping by.

      Delete

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