Rest Stop
If you
let me touch
your wounds
to feel
the pain
draining the joy
that once sang
in your heart –
before life
crept in
and taught
its lessons
of wasted
opportunities,
misplaced trust
and loss –
I’ll unveil
scars of my own
that have
been waiting
to soothe
your soul
by showing
that healing
grows when
invited
and love
never loses
its power.
Phoebe
With tranquil gray eyes
squinting against the glare
of the sunbaked beach
she didn’t quite smile
while gazing back
into his camera
not seeing him –
merely sensing his presence –
much the same as
the quiet gifts she held
on either knee and in her womb
encircled and sheltered
by her downy arms
and emboldened intent.
Woman, mother, wife and lover
concerned only about that second –
indifferent to those following
as the snake of time,
in ritual dance,
swallowed her, them
and that precise heartbeat
in a deceivingly
imperceptible fashion –
eventually bringing them all
to a present filled
with unexpected ambiguous losses
that mirrored the events of that day.
Old friends
from long ago –
still living –
albeit in a faded snapshot –
witness to a moment
forever etched in time.
N.T. Chambers has led a diverse and dynamic life en route to becoming a writer. His journey has encompassed a range of occupations, including cab driver, bus driver, sales professional, pizza delivery driver, wine merchant, improv actor, editor, educator, professional counselor, and, of course, the quintessential job for writers – bartender. Each of these roles has contributed to a rich tapestry of experiences, offering a wellspring of inspiration for his poems and stories.
N.T. Chambers’ literary works have found their way into the pages of numerous prestigious magazines and journals. His writings have graced the likes of “The Inditer,” “Grassroots,” “In Parentheses,” “You Might Need to Hear This,” “The Elevation Room,” “Wingless Dreamer,” “Months to Years,” “W.E.I.R.D,” “New Note Poetry,” “Bright Flash Literary Review,” “Quibble,” “Indolent Books,” “Banyan Review,” “Inlandia,” “The Orchards Poetry Journal,” and “The Decadent Review.”