Gazing at Old Photos

by Cheryl Merrick

Seeing my younger self,
I remember when life

stretched endlessly before me

so full of possibilities. 

Filled with sparkling optimism,

I faced forward gazing

into the vastness of my future.

Now, fifty years have passed.

With knowing eyes,

I look back at my younger self

and smile. 

Not Alone

 by Cheryl Merrick

Silence hangs over my home

like a crushing weight

pressing in upon me.

Fighting the quiet,

I try to fill it with my words

as I remember all our

pleasant conversations,

but my speech only echos 

off the hard stillness. 

Time to Say Goodbye

 by Cheryl Merrick

It is time for us to say goodbye

to a humble, loving man.

Desiring to be with your family,

you have bravely suffered

pain, treatments, and therapy.

The last 20 years have passed too quickly,

as you have fought to remain here

continually giving us your love and support.

Saying Goodbye- For Now

(Death of a Parent)
by Cheryl Merrick

How can I say goodbye?
This is too soon.
I'm not ready to live
without you.
How can I go on
without your support?

You, who have unfailingly been there
loving and supporting me,
have left an emptiness in my life
where you have always been.

When I look into the mirror,
how can I not be filled with 
reminiscences of you?
How can I not see reflected 
the heritage you have given me?

A Woman in Winter

by Cheryl Merrick

Shut in her home,
the woman huddles
in her ever darkening room.
Cold and lonely, 
she spends her days lost in viewing 
old photo albums and scrapbooks;
memories of summer;
a time when she basked 
in the warmth of having
her husband and young children
surrounding her; needing her. 

Now it is winter,
her husband, long dead,
has left her to continue alone.
Her children, now grown and far away,
have little time to spend with her
for they are busily raising their children
and enjoying their own summer.

Two Men Facing Death

by Cheryl Merrick

Knowing the end is near,
one man sits blankly in his chair,
his eyes looking hopelessly
out into nothingness.

His wife withdraws
consumed by fears
of soon becoming
"just a widow".

As the other man's friends and family
gather to say goodbye,
his eyes twinkle
as he lovingly shares
these last moments of his life.

Mortality

by Cheryl Merrick


It seemed so far away,
so distant as to be unreal.
Yes, I had known grieving
for those no longer here,
But dying was something
only for the very old–
certainly not me!
Stunned, I realize that my grandparents
were my age, my dad, 
and my husband's mother
were only a few years older 
when they passed on.
Persistently my body is telling me
with each ache and pain
that it is becoming tired.
As I stiffen up after sitting a few minutes,
tire quickly, and sleep lightly,
I am reminded to cherish
these fleeting moments
of mortality.

Hearts - miscarriage

by Cheryl Merrick
With joyful hearts they announce
    the future birth of their
    long awaited child.
Eagerly, hopes are shared
    and plans made.
The waiting begins,

Glory

by Cheryl Merrick

A blaze of yellow against a deep blue sky,
Full of hope, beauty, and life,
I long for this moment to remain. 
I don’t want the bleak, bare world of November.
Within me I cry - Stay!
But then I remember that 
the leaves must fall.