After The Sabbatical: Three Poems

After The Sabbatical

I. Eyes

My child’s eyes wistful
As I walk out the door
Remembering the summer
That was

Time
Attention
My face
My whole self

My child’s eyes fearful
As I climb in my car
Remembering the spring
That was

Time
Vacant presence
My mind ever-absent
Dis-spirited father

My child’s eyes anxious
Mimicking my own stomach tightening
Again. The way
That was

My child’s eyes speak
The wistful, fearful, anxious
Prophecy
That must not be

II. Re-Entry

After the float
Seeing the sun
Squinted-eye clarity
After gravity’s release
Has taken its turn

A careful angle
Must be taken
For gravity’s pull,
If not respected,
Will burn you up

Atmosphere thickens
Oxygen
Nitrogen
Carbon dioxide
Other carcinogens

Upon landing you are greeted
And all eyes examine your psyche
And you must regain your land legs
And then, each night, lay awake at night
Trying to remember the feeling of weightlessness

III. Slipping Your Shadow

A hammock will make him nauseous
Campfire smoke irritates him
A leisurely stroll will turn him around
Feet dipped in the ocean prunes his skin
A book for fun will bore him
Repeated deep breaths make him dizzy
Sunsets burn his eyes

Enough of these
Will cause your companion
Disorientation
And in a sunset he will become lost
He will look for you and blink
And that’s when you’ll lose him
And he will become lost

For a while
You will glide
Alone…

But he is searching
And will find you
He knows where to look

The moment you dare
Gaze at your calendar
Knowing tomorrow your ceasing ends
This companion
This bastard shadow
This clenched stomach
Will re-attach