Poem by Jeral Williams
Cancer, a tasteless hyena, rips prey, engorges what lions leave before vultures pick clean dreams of the dead. A lifeless moon rises between clouds parting, silhouettes dance on Mom’s grave and nearby church steeples. In darkness, Dad’s wounded prayer connects grief buried deep in permanently carved pits filled with love. Exchanged smiles signal the legacy her warmth bestowed in triumphant dance, sincere songs and a fiery heart. Springing through darkness, honor blooms, gilded by hope.
Jeral Williams is a retired professor of psychology and fourth-quarter poet. His first book of poetry, Sunset Without Dawn (Negative Capability Press, 2022), was inspired by the tragic loss of a daughter. A cancer and stroke survivor, he enjoys writing each day despite the problems of being a one-handed typist.
