POETRY: The Voice of a Visitor

by Joan Anderson

There is a place in Florida

where the sun doesn’t shine,

but it’s never dark;

where green is not seen

or scented, nor blue;

where yesterday’s dreams

evaporate, forming the

only visible clouds;

where tomorrow’s plans

are never known and

uncertainty reigns;

where the world is viewed

largely via video, for those who

don’t get to go home

at the end of the day.

It’s a place nearby

where children’s laughter

is only in the mind;

where regrets morph into

despondence;

where “sadness” becomes

companion;

where “forgotten” takes on

flesh;

and where flagging hope

is ignited for an instant

in the voice of a visitor.

Joan Anderson is a volunteer coordinator with Baker Interfaith Friends in  Gainesville, Florida.