I Remember Hallways

Posted by thom amundsen on November 9, 2014

I remember eyes wandering,

hiding behind cedar posts,

paying more attention to the tiles,

until common footsteps

might begin again.

My bench in the center of two seas

swaying toward and moving away

ascending and crossing paths

smiles and scorns

tired looks, and glaring fear.

I remember

hiding in plain sight

hiding in pain’s flight

while all of you kept your lives in check.

I remember wondering

if the waves of human condition

might ever stop

might slow down only for a minute

a second or two of time,

always remember wandering,

or wondering,

where the lives belong,

where the time had gone.

Remember Hallways

Posted by thom amundsen on February 23, 2014

Last week

I waited for you

That spot where we …

Well, I always anticipate

The motion of you

In a sea of our peers

A sudden smile indicates

We are together

That’s love

What happens

To moments that define themselves

How do we lose

Touch on our own selves

We have lives

Beautiful children

Romantic dinners, candlelight anniversaries

Am I talking about myself

Or you, and them, and everyone

Walking the streets wondering

Climbing their stairs curious

Fixing the roof

Driving home the deal

Planning vacations

That may not ever rekindle early days

Remember hallways

Capture that energy

Forget about your reality

And walk back towards a visual

Reframing of what is important

What drives desire

Who defines our destiny

Walk together through the many doors

That offer distraction

Go forward finding that path

Fighting resistance at every cost

Today while I walk amongst

Hundreds of impressionable minds

Holding hands, relying upon smiles …

Remember hallways

Passing Time

Posted by thom amundsen on February 6, 2014

Into a sea of humanity

Each body moving against the current

Drifting by

Eyes wavering sometimes connecting

Making my way to my next class

Wondering if I might see her

This was the usual hour

I even knew which part of the hallway

To look for

As she always let her soft left shoulder

Grace the wall space

Sort of a security that if bumped

Forced to step into the open mass

Of students all looking for each other

She might visibly become lost

I always dreamed of saving her

Even when her eyes didn’t connect

Her shoulder turning the corner

Walking away again with such elegance

In a moment

Navigating through the faces

There he would be

If he might just look towards the walls

And see my usual posture

Trying to remain invisible

Only for his eyes

Only for that moment

When before taking the corner

I might smile with his eyes

Swept through the moments

I could use the security

Of the wall space

To protect my agony if ever tossed

Into the middle of a room

With faces all around

Lost in a moment of delirious

Peer driven angst with my fears

We do walk like ships flailing madly our lily masts in the night

Wandering with our free mind a passion is love’s burden to ignite

When will you … begin to teach

Posted by thom amundsen on October 5, 2013

Recognize my value as I walk past you.
Each morning moving towards my class
We cross paths like a silent movie venue.
Me, eyes closed with smile like breaking glass.

Afraid to engage you for fear of ridicule,
Always watching over my lonely shoulder
Wishing people might see me less a fool
More genuine; realizing everyone there

Is deserving of your attention, your model
Of direction, of delight, of dignified character.
Some sort of guarantee that you’re, that, well
Person whom we can rely upon to be where

We need your support, not simply in a room
With desks and posters, and mantras that inspire
Us to learn and grasp the standard you groom.
But also to walk with us and know we will aspire

To greater dreams than the droll of fearful walkways,
To prove our lives are important too in so many ways.