Key West The Newspaper

For Sir Robert Antoni

Troubles recovered are victories won
as any struggle provides the hope
of continuing on.
We were there when “there” was then
as here and now, our names remain,
when all is done,
beyond the gloomy stare
of judgment’s sun.
The trampled weed, the fallen tree,
let us feel survival’s thrill
as we finish all the odds and ends
we had begun and still engage
in what we share:
a single chance at life’s deep need
to give or get, not just respect,
but a kind of grace that angels bear
that lies in phenomenons of human care.

Kirby Congdon