All You Have To Do Is Ask

Through a raging river of agonizing tears,

And a wild whirlwind of uncontrollable kicks,

A small toddler's tantrum came with reddened ears

As Johnny stomped away from the candy sticks.

He screamed and screamed, with a reach of longing,

As he was pulled away from his lost belonging.

His wise mother waited for him to finish,

"I know the 'want' in you never may diminish,"

"But to understand to some degree,"

She said, "And shut away a mystery,

Instead of in the midst of darkness bask,

All you have to do is ask."

Years later, Johnny grew not so young,

And a female heart to his was strung.

Hand in hand, worlds conquered, battles fought,

Pushed on the process of lessons taught.

But one in particular rose up one day

As he found himself down one future fiancée.

She'd left in tears and obvious hurt

But Johnny was confused, he'd been overt.

"What did I do?" He asked with shame.

"Well Johnny, our love at first was like a flame.

Then carried out, it dragged on too long

With no goal in sight, and it then felt wrong."

"The raging flame," she said, "from months before

Blew away and openly flickered no more."

I wanted to marry you Johnny, a simple task.

And all you had to do was ask.

It definitely stung, as Johnny wept.

But he stored those words with the others he kept.

And as hours flew by and years crept on,

Those silly premature days had come and gone.

And Johnny, now with some life under his belt,

Grew accustomed to addressing feelings felt.

So much so that in the midst of a grueling trial

Of losing his job, shook his fist heavenward in denial.

"Lord, what did I do to deserve this!?"

"I thought we were friends!" he spit in a hiss.

And through a raging river of agonizing tears,

Johnny felt again those familiar reddened ears.

He screamed and screamed, with a reach of longing,

As he was pulled away from his lost belonging.

His wise Father waited for him to finish,

"I know the 'want' in you never may diminish,"

Johnny couldn't believe it how

The Creator answered with his Mother now.

"I know and see what you may never.

So in this storm, you must learn to trust the weather."

"And if it's all you can to keep from wondering,

Don't pry the heavens with thoughts of plundering.

Instead of in the midst of darkness bask,

All you have to do is ask."

In awe and guilt and whimpering shame,

He realized the answer was always the same.

Of all phrases, which was the one to last?

"All you have to do is ask."

-Cale Kenneth Montoya (06-04-22)