Endless Beginnings
by Josie Farrar
Deep in a bundle of sensations
A spark of consciousness
Becomes aware of warmth. Security
In the distance, a muted voice
Begins a conversation
That will continue through life
A sharp first breath
Jarring brightness.
Overwhelming sound
Comforting arms restore warmth. Security
Tiny lips move gently
Forming sounds of their own
As they join a conversation
That will continue through life
A new bag and lunch box; new clothes; new shoes
Small hands grip tight
Bigger hands pull, gently, away
New faces offer comfort. Security
Others offer something new: friendship
Small lips struggle to repeat printed words
Each voice, heard and read, enriches a conversation
That will continue through life
New ideas and emotions
So much to learn
Text books replace stories
Friendships fade, rekindle, change
Some die. Others are born
Teenage lips taste a first kiss
Voices come and go, playing parts big and small
In a conversation that continues through life
A new job brings security
The freedom of income
The voice of the learner
Respected, listened to. at last
Soon, tiny fingers grip a single grown-up digit
Tiny lips blow a bubble
And so, as voices of bosses and colleagues swell the older conversation
That same conversation begins anew
A box of mementos. A gold watch. A cake
Security assured through years of hard work
The freedom of time
New voices give the orders, make the rules
More and more, old voices fade
Replaced by the chatter of youth
In a conversation that has continued through life
A last, lingering breath
Eyes close, to see
Light, in the darkness
Leading back
Into the unknown, where
A voice that is not a voice
A voice that was there all along
Continues a conversation that transcends life