Waiting
By Robyn Argyle
The stars wait for that single explosion
the burst of ecstacy and fire
when they become beautiful and visible
to the naked human eye
before they fizzle out and fade
The sky waits to be painted
violent shades of gold and rose and blue
so that those below will look up
and marvel at the breadth of the universe
before being distracted again
The pedestrians wait on street corners
tapping the posts and the sidewalk cracks
waiting for the light to change
waiting to go somewhere important
waiting to cross the road
The pregnant mother waits
her hands folded on her belly
feeling life, and growth, and mystery
wondering about tiny fingers and toes
waiting for that small first breath
The unemployed shuffle their feet
they put on their finest clothes
and their brightest smiles
and hope that someday, somehow
someone will see potential in them
The student sits at her desk
she mouths the words to the song in her head
she stares out the window
she wonders who she is, what she knows
she wonders where she will go
The heartbroken feels the food turn to ash
hears the music turn to noise
and idle conversation turn to silence
they watch as memories lose their color
and wait to feel whole
The hungry wait to be fed
the injured wait to be healed
the silent wait to be heard
the weak wait to be strong
the small wait to be noticed
The powerful wait for more power
the greedy wait for more greed
the sinful wait to sin again
the tossed out, thrown down, and trampled
wait to find meaning
We all wait for hope to bless us
we all wait for peace to last
we all wait for love to mean something
we all wait for happiness to find us
and most of all
we
all
wait
for
our
lives
to
be
lived
