A promise made; a promise kept
A rarity we find,
More often there’s a soft tear wept
A broken heart or mind

Intent may live; intent may be
But that does not fulfill,
The smoldering want or scorching need
That scars a person’s will

To whom we make, to whom we break
Our promises you ask,
To young, to old; ourselves, our souls
Such disappointments cast

Does guilt reside, does guilt remain
Within us when we fail,
To keep our word, to hone our pride
To do all that’s entailed

Or have we changed, have we become
Complacent for guilt’s sake,
To shoulders drooped and eyes downcast
The drowning in our wake

For most I’d guess, we’d want to see
A strong example set,
A follow-through, a moral code
A value system met

But maybe there is just one place
Important whence we start,
Ignore the whispers in our minds
And promise from the heart

~ Leana Delle
Sunday, May 19, 2019
2019 Sunday Poetry Challenge – Number nineteen of fifty-two