Here is the latest installment of Poet's Corner, presented by the Edmonds Poetry Group.

Throughout time the ringing of Bells

have sounded to herald and regulate

the comings and goings of humans events

I have heard the bells sing as the voice of true celebration

I have heard the bells cry out to signal imminent danger

I have heard the bells subdued whispers when grieving a loss

I have heard the rhythmic clang of a buoy(bell) jostled by an angry sea

A bell is often a voice for the voiceless.

Lately, I struggle to imagine a place where a bell doesn't belong.

However, my mindless wanderings leads me to an obvious conclusion,

Where do words go? Do they covertly sneak off in the middle of

the night to seek refuge in a dust covered dictionary, high upon

a library shelf, forgotten in a place inaccessible to these old legs,out

of the grasp of these arthritic ridden hands, on the distant edges of

vision, yet still on the horizon of my memory

The words and sounds of words lost, now resting in coffins of

knowledge, latched with leather straps and engraved silver locks,

securing the once free range words that encircled our lives

As children, we were out of luck if we couldn't spell a word, we

most surely couldn't find it in the dictionary

Now in the grips of aging when we can't remember words, not

even a dictionary can help

Our modern day culture no longer uses the words that I seek,

They have become weighty, archaic, unconnected to who we are,

what we want to say, what we mean!

There are times of perfect clarity, when the clear skies of mind,

void of clouds, shine upon the broad expanses of memory,

A time when those elusive words stampede across the plains of

recall like the healthy horde of Bison that roamed from horizon to

Keep hiding, perhaps someday a treasure hunter or bored

Archeologist will discover you and have true understanding of

your worth

Previously published in the Arizona Centennial Anthology and in Between the Lines, Gerald chairs the Edmonds Poetry Group. He edited and contributed to Soundings from the Salish Sea (A Pacific Northwest Poetry Anthology).

In 2019, Gerald was selected to read his poetry with the Washington State Poet Laureate. He helped establish a bi-monthly Poet's Corner featurette in My Edmonds News to showcase the work of local poets. He has a new book of poetry on Amazon entitled, Memories Looking Through a Screen Door.