“Horizon”

by Jeffery M. Bishop, Sr. 

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Standing on the road watching the sun set on the horizon A horizon that is so much closer than before Watching as mentors and friends stride slowly into their own sunsets Leaving us to carry on the duty as they retire I remember the brightness of the rising sun Shimmering over the endless road that lay ahead of me Illuminating the interminable adventures That stretched away to the same horizon at my beginning As I grew into the weight of responsibility And the truth of our duty became more apparent I often stopped and gazed towards that hidden horizon Wondering if I’d make it, longing for the chance to see it up close Day after day, year after year I watched rising suns of people stepping up to serve Mixing with the sunsets of the mentors who taught us Like torches being passed at the changing of the guard And now I stand in the gathering twilight of my own service Hurrying patiently to pass on the knowledge that was entrusted to me To those who will continue their duty and bear the torch of our freedom Waiting to stroll over the horizon into my own sunset.

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Jeffery M. Bishop Sr. grew up in Orland, Maine, where he enjoyed all the offerings of the great outdoors. His mother, a nurse, and his father, a police officer, taught him early the values of character, integrity, and community service. He graduated from Bucksport High School and joined the United States Air Force, where he served as a helicopter mechanic for ten years. After the Air Force, Jeff earned his Airframe and Power Plant license and worked as a contractor and general aviation mechanic for several years before joining the Maine Army National Guard, where he served as a UH-60 Helicopter crew chief for 15 years. His love for writing and poetry began as a child, when he regularly contributed to the school newsletter. Later in life, poetry became a way to process his experiences and express the emotions left by multiple deployments and personal tragedies. His work was first published in the Goose River Anthology. He is a father of four and a grandfather of two. Jeff currently lives in Freedom, Maine, with his wife, Billie-Jo, and serves as the Master Religious Affairs NCO for the Maine Army National Guard.