Stranger
Has eight letters, two vowels, six consonants
Can be chopped to negative connotation, or extended to romantic suggestion
Strange people can find each other and feel …
Less estranged
Strangeness can become, familiar
Like the day before a storm brings the brightest day
There are angels walking among us
They may have sagging skin and loose jowels
Dirty fingernails and missing teeth
But their smile is a beacon, guiding lost ships to harbor
Only today I met one as I held the post office door open
She said “this will be your year” and her warmth was a well tended fire in my heart
We marry strangers who have become loved ones
Strange is stronger than blood
You have never been a stranger to me, the day I met you I forsaw
Us walking beneath wet trees, the deer, sillouetted between bare branches
Our wet gloves smashed together
Holding tighter
Than the fierce grip of Winter

26 Replies to “Stranger”

  1. We are all strangers until we are not, whatever the form that takes – beautiful! It put me in mind of a song, “Love Song To A Stranger” by Joan Baez. Here is the last verse:
    “Because you gave to me oh so many things it makes me wonder
    How they could belong to me
    And I gave you only my dark eyes that melted your soul down
    To a place where it longs to be”

  2. These lines…
    “Strange is stronger than blood
    You have never been a stranger to me, the day I met you I forsaw
    Us walking beneath wet trees, the deer, sillouetted between bare branches
    Our wet gloves smashed together
    Holding tighter
    Than the fierce grip of Winter”
    I felt were the most important lines of the poem. They describe so much while saying very little. This is a beautiful poem, Candice.

  3. Beautifully written Candice!.. I like to think the universe brings us many opportunities in life to learn and to grow, to help ourselves and to help others. We just have to be open to recognizing these opportunities for what they are, and taking full advantage of them when they come our way. Not sure if that makes much sense, but these are the thoughts your beautiful poem invokes in me.
    Hoping your weekend brings relief, peace and healing. You are in my thoughts dear sister. <3

  4. This evokes something I’ve thought about a lot, especially lately. I try and remind myself that strangers have the same complicated, patchwork of emotions going on under the surface that I do but that gets overwhelming to think about. I think it’s why I value poetry so much. It’s like a condensed way to appreciate the depth of people you don’t really know that way yet.
    Anyhow, great work as always!

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