Melancholy’s Song – Michael Shoemaker

Melancholy’s Song - Michael Shoemaker

It’s Friday and drizzling again
while you drive home
listening to the radio with me by your side
and the song comes on.

It’s the one that sometimes thrills,
brings moods or something too hard to describe,
but somehow always
matches our souls.

You roll down the window to watch
tiny beads of water bounce off your skin
and just about everything smells as it was before ‒
something of lavender.

There used to be the taste of the sea breeze
on the tips of our tongues
and the warmth of our hearts
with tenderness and understanding.

You turn into my driveway, stop the engine and look at me.
Tears roll down our cheeks knowing what can no longer be
and what no longer needs to be said.
I get out of the car, shut the door, and walk away.
The last note floats skyward beyond our reach.

Michael Shoemaker is a Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor for the State of Utah where he helps people with disabilities to obtain and keep new, meaningful employment. He has Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology from Brigham Young University and a Master’s Degree in Marriage and Family Therapy from Pacific Lutheran University. Michael likes writing poetry, magazine articles and photography. He lives in Magna, Utah with his wife, son, and cat named Yuki where he enjoys looking out on the Great Salt Lake each day. His hobbies include hiking, pickleball, traveling, and gardening. Michael likes to write socially conscious magazine articles. The Christian Courier this month published his article “Food Rescue-A Way to Fight Hunger” and he has just finished writing an article “Advice on Visiting the Sick”. His writing has been published in the Ancient Paths Literary Journal, Beckindale Poetry Journal, the Christian Courier, the Compass Literary Magazine and elsewhere.