Mindspark 1987

Mindspark 1987

The wind gusts outside my window
as night eclipses day.
I bow my head in solemn prayer
with the sun’s fading rays.

I’ve got an army of troubles
brewing inside my head.
The darkness filling up my house
with deep despair and dread.

I should have known it was a scam,
I feared it from the start.
He shattered all my childhood dreams
and pierced my broken heart.

I lost myself along the way,
abandoned and alone.
Backed against the wall, defeated
to the core of my bones.

A telephone rang through the house,
a voice from far away.
You brought a ray of light to me,
and chased the clouds of gray.

In time the clouds gave way to hope,
with skies of crystal blue.
You helped to kindle my mind’s spark
and brought the sun back through.

The darkest night gives way to dawn,
when deep passion burns bright.
A spark can turn a life around,
and bring us back to light.

Colleen Keller Breuning © 2026
November 14, 2026

Yesterday at the end of a busy work week, I realized that it was the 39^th anniversary of our engagement! Yes, that’s hard to believe it was so long ago that Dan proposed to me – on a Friday the 13^th. He had flown up from Florida to attend the Arthur Andersen & Co Washington DC office Holiday Party. Little did I know that he would propose to me by the fireplace as we sipped champagne! It was rather shocking, even though we knew each other very well! We met as coworkers in Oklahoma and became friends, but little did I know that Dan had a thing for me. But he was so respectful, and we walked our separate paths in life. He left for Florida, and I eventually left for DC, a shattered mess. A mutual friend let him know I was a free woman, and all it took was a summer of phone calls before we were dating long distance.

And then he changed my life that cold night in November… for the better! Together, we took our lives in such a wonderful new direction that I never ever dreamed possible. I’ve written a little about my past and dropped hints of how I never thought I would find someone like him. A good man that I could trust with my entire heart and soul… but I did. I feel very blessed in life!

And now 13 is our lucky number – we were engaged on the 13^th, married on the 13^th, and we even closed on our Virginia home on the 13^th! Yes, I still have and cherish the original beautiful diamond engagement ring he gave me 39 years ago. Every time I look down at my old, weathered hands, it brings sparks of joy to me… because it invokes memories of that wondrous time, the night when he asked me to be his wife. Thank you, God, for putting us exactly where we needed to be at the right time and place in our lives – and for guiding our destiny and blessing us along the way. I am so grateful. Xoxo

Love,
Colleen

Ecrits Blogophilia Week 20.18 – At Your Service
Hard Bonus: Incorporate a quote or line from Florence Nightingale (I paraphrased: “Ignite the mind’s spark to rise the sun in you” to fit within the format of my poem)
Easy Bonus: Mention a branch of the military or other veteran organization (army)