I FUMBLED WITH MY SMILE

~ thereluctantpoet

By Charles Robert Lindholm

You’re supposed to be brave

You’re not supposed to cry

but I fumbled with my smile each time

I was forced to mumble, Hi!

 

Sitting in the airport

for a ten day business trip

I can keep the tears from falling

If I bite my upper lip

 

I was ambushed at the front door

with the truth about her lies

there were no hugs or kisses

when we said our last good-byes

 

She disguised the clues so cleverly

she didn’t want me to know

and now, no vow could hold her

she’s packing up to go

 

Overlapping Lovers

I found out way to late

standing in a line

waiting at the gate

 

I fumbled with my smile, again

offering up my name

as my broken heart reminds me

Life won’t be the same

© 2017 Charles Robert Lindholm – All Rights Reserved

4-1-2017 April Fools Day  6:30 a.m.

Please visit – “Decisions” by Linda Rose of Scatterednotebooks!

This wonderful poem provided the inspiration for my poem here and I owe her a huge Thank You for the line – “fumbling with my smile”!!  This tiny inspirational seed grew into “I Fumbled With My Smile”.  Gold Stars for Linda who has now joined my “Inspirators Gang” (someone who has provided the seed, the spark that spawned a poem from me).

This is yet another example of the benefit of keeping a Word Bank when you run across something that hits you as Great!  I made a deposit in Linda’s account in my Word Bank for “I fumbled with my smile” and Boom, now it has paid dividends!!

Please go and visit Linda/Scatterednotebooks and check out her wonderful works!!

15 thoughts on “I FUMBLED WITH MY SMILE”

  1. Holding back the tears, the pain… trying to be strong because the truth revealed has hurt you too much. It’s like we have to hold on to the little bit of strength, of dignity, we still have. That’s what comes to my mind when I read this poem, Chuck. We are forced to let go of those who no longer want to hold on to us and that hurts deeply. But, in the end, it frees us from the lies and hurt and puts us on the path to something better. Really can relate to this poem, my friend. Another heartfelt piece!

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Yes, we are so often called upon to keep a stiff upper lip and hold it all in. Not mentally healthy but what society wants. When someone asks you “How are you doing?” all they really want is to hear you say – “Fine”! So happy you enjoyed this!!! Thanks so much for going through my archives!!!
      xoxoxo

      Liked by 1 person

      1. I know what you mean. It’s torment to the soul trying to pretend to be okay when they’re not.

        It was a pleasure reading your older pieces, Chuck! I thank you, again, for suggesting these beautiful poems for me to read, my friend. You’re very welcome!
        xoxoxo

        Liked by 1 person

    1. Yeah, there were some feeling from the past in that one! Please see “my broken heart reminds me” by Singledust that I reblogged on my site. This was a response poem.

      Glad you are enjoying your visit!

      Liked by 1 person

  3. Chuck, I have been leaning towards making an online community called the Go Dog Go Treetop Cafe that provides an inclusive environment for us shy writers… as you recall from our off-line chats. Perhaps we need to have a tree house in that tree for the Inspirators Club. With Gina’s post you have started veritable chain. Well done with this one!

    Liked by 1 person

    1. I love the Cafe idea for shy writers – Gina, me, and others but You? Really? Are you one of us too? Sorry, it’s just hard for me to envision that with all the connections and contacts you have? The more the merry is what I say!! I love the idea of a tree house for “The Inspirators Club”!

      I really like the idea of “The Inspirators Club” maybe we can pull together the genetic roots of poems (like a family tree only for a poem, word or phrase) back to “The Inspirator” who motivated the poet? We can have back stories etc. I will see if I can start pulling together the genetic history of the poems I have written from the seeds of an Inspirator. I will put the raw data into an Excel Spreadsheet and then put the write ups into a Word file? What do you think?

      Gina’s poem “The Poet Of My Dreams” is going to take on a life of its own. I have tried to cajole and nudge her into embedding a SoundCloud audio of her reading this one and her other poems. But you know our little Miss Shy one. No nibbles yet! Maybe you can have some influence. Thought it would be great if she would, like Christine has done.

      Liked by 1 person

      1. I am a complex onion, Chuck. Shy, and yet not. The work we do here feels important, connecting with others. That seems more powerful to me than my shyness. Plus 25 years of leading folks in the Navy has sort of driven the shyness out of me.

        As for spending time in an excel spreadsheet – I would eschew that in favor for pen and paper and letting the ideas inspire!

        Liked by 1 person

  4. I am touched that you thought so much of that line to compose a poem. Thank you so much for you kind words. I’m sorry it took so long for me to check this out, it’s really a good piece. Well done.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. I am so glad you have joined “The Inspirators Club” (something from you inspired me to write a poem). No Worries. I think I’d rather see you invest your time in writing more wonderful works for us to enjoy. I do appreciate you stopping by to comment/chit-chat. Happy you liked it.

      Liked by 1 person

  6. Pingback: my broken heart reminds me – Singledust

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