The Goddess

The Goddess
<>

Getting ready to listen to Siegel and Weil
A goddess sat next to me
Not your supernatural variety mind you
but nevertheless, one indeed
I know not why I give this claim
to someone who appeared so briefly
Perhaps it was the black dress
hanging loosely on her form that intrigued me
Or the slightly swollen ankle with the ice pack
that created a sense of empathy
Or the timeless face that spoke
not only of beauty but understanding
Speaking, she brought me out of my cocoon
grateful that someone knew I was here
Kaye was her name, I think
A voice filled with a melody,
singing of richness and comfort
In our brief banter my fantasies worked
ridiculous for a man my age

Her shoulder accidentally brushed mine
momentarily shocking my senses
I wanted to reach out
sensing we had much to share
Alas, the speakers started and
our conversation ended
Later, standing up to leave,
I bid good-bye - wishing her a quick recovery
How could this goddess impact me so?
Middle-age dementia? Perhaps, I don't know.
N'ertheless, like the Greeks of old
I believe that's exactly what goddesses
are suppose to do!

Comments: I was at a conference in Austin, Texas for three days. While there were over 900 people in attendance, the vast majority female, I was not able to establish a conversation of any length with either sex. Besides attending meetings I spent much of the time on my own. On the very last day of the conference in the very last session I was attending before taking my flight home, I was seated a few chairs in with plenty of empty seats around me. I was lost in my inner thoughts. Suddenly, like magic, this woman appeared and sat next to me. She explained that a bee had stung her earlier in the morning while working in her yard and that she wanted to keep it elevated on the chair beside her. She also mentioned that she worked occasionally for the organization sponsoring the conference. I was so appreciative of this human contact that this poem evolved almost simultaneously with our conversation. As an added note, you may wonder why it is under Beauty rather than Life. Simply, the experience was one of those unique, beautiful ones that all too rarely come a long. These experiences leave lasting impressions despite their brevity of time. I hope each of you have had similar experiences.

top