Les Miserables – A Poem

LES MISERABLES

IN THE DARK, IN THE DAY

THERE IS NO ONE

WHO KNOWS MY DUST—

I WAS SENTENCED FOR HELPING

THOSE WHO MAKE THEIR BREAD

LED BY A WOMAN WHOSE HEART WAS STONE.

PROBATION ONLY MADE

MY DARK WORLD BLACKER,

MY FRIGHTENED LIFE

A TERRIFYING STRIFE.

NOW I AM A PLAGUE

TO MYSELF AND TO ‘THEM’

‘A PROBLEM’

YET, A FRIEND ASKED ME

HOW DO I FORGIVE THEM?

FORGIVE THEM?

PERHAPS I AM NOT FORSAKEN?

ANGELS SING AROUND ME

WHERE DO THEY FIND THIS MERCY

FOR THOSE

DEEMED TO BE NOT SPOKEN TO?

“ALL OVER A LOAF OF BREAD”

DEADHEADING DEAD FLOWERS

“ALL OVER A LOAF OF BREAD”.

‘FALLEN FROM GOD, FALLEN FROM GRACE“

“THOSE WHO ARE RIGHTEOUS SHALL HAVE THEIR REWARD”

BUT IS THIS TRUE, FOR THE LINE IS SO GREY AND THIN

AND NO ONE NEVER SINS…

“AND IF YOU FALL AS LUCIFER FELL

YOU FALL IN FLAMES…”

WHAT KIND OF HELL IS HEAVEN ANYWAYS?

I AM A SLAVE

TO A FALSE REPUTATION

I AM A SLAVE

TO THE WHISPERS THAT BROADEN MY GRIEF–

I WISH FOR A NEW BEGINNING.

LOOK DOWN AND

SEE THE FACE THAT I HAVE GIVEN ANEW.

YOU DON’T KNOW ME,

BUT STILL, I AM THAT OLD CON,

JEAN VALJEAN

TRYING STILL TO DO GOOD WILL,

FOR THOSE WHO HAVE FALLEN FROM GRACE.

SLEEP NOW, I WILL KNOW

IF YOU ARE WITH ME

GOD WILL SHOW ME MERCY

FOR MY DISGRACE.

 

   LISA R. BERGSTEIN-TREMBACK