Each day's a diamond

Each day's a diamond
when you lose someone you love.

You realize just how near death is:
we walk along a narrow ridge,
steep cliffs on either side.

And as we go,
our relatives and friends may fall,
forced off by accident or illness
as we ourselves may be at any time.

So I repeat
each day's a gem:
I'm learning to appreciate
its color, light and shape.

— Robert Melliard, Nov 29, 2008

About This Poem

About the Author

Region, Country: Asturias, Spain

Favorite Poets: Chaucer, Shakespeare, Du Bellay, Metaphysicals, Petrarch, Dante, Baudelaire, Lorca, Becquer, Coleridge

Critiques

themoonman

17 years 6 months ago

Robert...

A simple truth that takes us as human beings a while to learn... usually anyway... there are those that see early on how easy life can slip away... but it is not usually grasped until much later... but it is a truth indeed... each time we are able to see another day is one more precious gift of life... enjoyed your write...loved the ending references to color, light and shape... acknowledging lifes magical array of colors with that one line ... Richard

Robert Melliard

17 years 6 months ago

Colors

Hi Richard, Many thanks for your comment. As you say, appreciation of color is an essential part of enjoying each day to the full (at least for anyone remotely artistic). The fall was beautiful here in the north of Spain this year, with the sun playing on the usual array of ochres, coppers, yellows and so on, though I doubt whether this can compete with autumn in New England. Best wishes, Robert.

themoonman

17 years 6 months ago

Indeed...

it is beautiful in New England... but I haven't been there since I was a child... I live in South Carolina... which is in the south east of the United States... and it is a beautiful mix of color here as well... I've never been to Spain, but it sounds like another "honey spot" of inspiring beauty to poets and artists... and the best of my wishes for you Richard