Stray

Stray dogs and stray men

We stay in houses where others have been;

Nonetheless, we never belong,

The days are so unbearably long.

Nights are bleak and days horribly sad

I never meant to be a deadbeat dad.

I’m a good man, he’s a better dog;

Why are we left to wander about in a fog?

The world is quite unfair!

About me—does anyone care?

But I must acknowledge the truth:

Many mistakes I made in my youth.

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This poem is the theme for my next novel, which I am calling Stray. I’m still writing the first draft, but I love writing this particular story. Basil, the main character, is a man with a deep, but silent longing. He has been searching for his foothold, seeking to find…what? He never really knew. He’s a best-selling author who has sailed around the world for nearly twenty years, interviewing people and living the life of a vagabond–telling himself it was for the sake of the next novel. But consequently, he feels very alone in the world, nothing more than a stray.

He had set a self-imposed limit of twenty years on his travels, so when he returns to civilization, he encounters unexpected blessings. A stray Irish Wolfhound claims him, a long-lost brother welcomes him, a son he never knew about is willing to let him into his life, and the first encounter with the love of his life, Phoebe French, is very nearly a fatal reaction.

This is the story of Stray as it is developing. It is still in transition; anything could happen. But it makes me think–don’t all of us have similar feelings at times? Don’t we struggle to find our place in the world? Aren’t there people who we let slip through our fingers–people who were once close to us but now, it just seems easier to let them linger in our past? When do we stop kidding ourselves and return to civilization? Return to the people who are important to us and allow yourself to remember and reunite.

God is the only one who knows how your story will end; He has it all planned. I’m counting on God to tell me how Basil’s story ends–I know he won’t let me down.

Copyright Marilyn White November 6, 2013