I wrote this poem in 1999 to an Australian friend who also didn’t want to stay in contact with me. I tried to reason and nurture him in his state of pain, but he wanted nothing of it. So I just had to let things be and let go.

The Hands of Time

If I could turn back
The clocks…
I would.

If I could stop time
In its movement…
I would change
The events of that day!

If I could take away
Your pain…
I would wipe
Your tears away

I can only
Love you,
Console you and
Comfort you
By wrapping you
In my blanket of
Tender loving care!

I can kiss away your sorrow
And be there

For you…

I can lend you my strength,
My support,
My caring nature and loving ways…

But oh, how I hurt for you,
How my heart goes out to you…

I tried to talk to you,
I tried to reason with you,
By sharing
My own trials,
And my own tribulations…

I tried to intervene to prevent you
From making them yourself,
But you said
With conviction,
“Your mate
Would see you through”…

Now, look!
My shining star,

Once a happy,
Joyous soul.
Now sad,
With a cloud of
Unknown hanging
Over his sweet spirit.

You can order my poetry collection, including this poem, here: Reflections of My Heart.

Original text ©2025 by Karen Lynn-Chlup. All rights reserved. Image by Chris Downer via Wikimedia Commons.