Charmed Chaos
Musings on Life, Love, and Linguine-Poetry & Writing
Did I
“How many loved your moments of glad grace,
And loved your beauty with love false or true;
But one man loved the pilgrim soul in you,
And loved the sorrows of your changing face.”
― William Butler Yeats, The Collected Poems of W.B. Yeats
I carry sorrow in my bones and wear my pain
for life is a masquerade of dancing ghosts that play
in the chasms of my mind with silk ties that bind
me to the silent skeletons of my past.
Black crows keep me company, bring me old coins
each one etched with a memory of my past life
Some shiny and gold, others burnished and old
from the patina of revisiting them over and over again.
Did I do what was right,
Did I do what was true,
Did I do what was good in my youth?
And then I realize I did my best with the wisdom I possessed,
and all the rest is a lesson in futility.
©2022 Linda Lee Lyberg
Written for Shay’s Word Garden and for The Sunday Muse #234
Linda Lee Lyberg is a wife, mother, artist, published poet and author. She resides in Mesa, AZ with her husband Pete (aka The Big Viking) of 26 years and their latest rescue, Jackson “Jax” Lyberg. Linda writes various forms of poetry, as well as short stories. You can read more of her works at: charmedchaos.com and view anthologies containing her work here: Amazon Author Page
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29 Comments on “Did I”
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POETS CORNER
Charmed Chaos 
That closing is the stone truth, girl. I’m always reminding myself not to judge my past self by what I know now. We do the best we can with what we know at the time. And somehow, if we’re lucky, we find our way to a better moment.
So nice to see you at the Word List!
–Shay
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Thank you Shay!
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The past and our loss can certainly haunt our heart. The questions of what if, are something we all speak inside of ourselves. This is a beautiful capturing of that Linda. So many wonderful lines, but the second stanza is my favorite. Lovely writing my friend! I am so glad that you joined in both at Shay’s Word List and at the Muse! You have been missed!
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Thank you so much Carrie. 🙏🏻
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I adored your finale Linda
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Thank you!
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Linda, a conclusion that rings with truth. Exactly so. Glad you are writing it out of your system ❤
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Thank you Lisa!
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You’re very welcome.
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This was a glorious meditation. That last stanza!
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Thank you!
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A wonderful opening stanza to usher in thoughts that are very at home with autumn. We all seem bound to our pasts with silken ties, but one can only hope that time allows us to make a truer tapestry of them.
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Thank you!
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Life a process of here to there. We can only do the best we can.
Happy Sunday Linda
Much❤love
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Thank you dear Gillena.
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As a lady in her eighties, I promise your poem (a splendid write) poses what matters most in my life.
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Thank you Helen.
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The imagery is vivid and paints the landscape beyond what is seen to the pain that is unseen, ever present. The ending is wise, if resigned: regret is fruitless, memories need not be so haunted. Beautiful poetry, Linda (aka “Laura” when I’m scatterbrained! sorry about that).
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No worries! And thank you so much.
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Great working of the word list and the TSM images!
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Thank you q.
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The past haunts us all and sometimes it can be painful. The last two lines ring true.
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Thank you.
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Beautiful imagery ❤
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Thank you.
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Well done Linda!
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Thank you Dwight.
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Yes, we do our best at the moment and hindsight will step in with all its negative. Such a beautiful, powerful poem about being yourself, about trusting where you are with what you know at a given moment. Incredible writing!
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Thank you!
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