Poem of October, 2004

A work from the past

There is safety in distance.
Memories held in time locked boxes
Going neither forward or back
Lay instilled, unmoved, untouched,
Yet not untouching the heart. 

Short and sweet, yet no love lost,
This story speaks of potential;
That nag brays about
What could have been;
Beastly bitch that word could.

The grown up takes it all
In easy strides that don’t back up
Where there are no walls.
Fall always breaths hot and cold
Exhaling into winter.

The aspirant lingers; hope,
That taskmaster of endurance,
Keeps the thoughts turned south
While the body heads west
Past Arkansas, past forever.

This love affair, carried on by IM,
Is gone with the software.
There were no promises,
Nor promises of promises to come.
Love was not a word.

There is safety in distance.
Nothing keeps the possibilities alive
Like a good stretch of the imagination.
Look back in happiness,
It is all biography now.