Saturday midday
What time did he say
She looked at her watch
Unsettled
Like an egg that was about to hatch
Yesterday
About the same time
She had been on the phone
wondering if she’d lost her mind
That she had just made up
To move on
The day before
“Don’t say it,
Don’t say it.”
But there was no one around
On the same patio
Besides the ground
So as she waited she calmed
Her thoughts
By holding her head
Down
Taking in the sounds
And the sight of the ground
It was a good thing
Because anyone watching would
See her face change continually
From a smile to a frown
Closure he had said
That’s all they needed
For the last week
Discontent they’d lived it breathed it
And in the last couple days
Her future had drawn closer
But there was still one obstacle
Closure
She was convinced it was needed
“If I didn’t need it
Why would I feel so guilty
Of what was between friends
A simple meeting?”
She was battling with
Latent feelings
When came the simple greeting
“You’re early.”
“You’re late.”
“I guess I was always making you wait.”
“So that’s an apology?”
“Hold on, wait, wait. I just got here.
At least let me order you a plate.”
The smile hadn’t changed
Strange
Neither had his face
But he seemed older
Colder
Was their a touch of venom
In his voice
Infecting the chip on his shoulder
But they sat
They ate
Until both
Mostly her
Were sated
Awkwardly at first
But then they laughed they
Joked they became elated
“Was what I said so terrible?”
Back down to earth
They’d both swallowed what was edible
“No, but it wouldn’t make you eligible
For Man of the Year.
iCare you should have heard in my voice.
The tone made it legible.
And you could have even looked it up
But my search was targeted,
Sixth from the top.
You might not get the same results
Or we weren’t following the same people,
Looking through different windows
On the same screen.”
“There was a time I thought
We shared the same dream
And I was trying to come clean…”
“You mean…”
“I was trying to clear up how things
May have seemed.”
“You mean…”
“But you cropped my vision.
You let everything boil
And didn’t wait for the cream.”
“You mean forgive you for defiling
our thing? After you clipped my wings,
Put me in a cage and made sure I couldn’t sing.”
“Well that was the other thing…”
“I gave you my heart
And that other thing.”
“I wanted to give you mine
and the distance we reached
I didn’t see it at the time.
This isn’t my time.
So if this is the last time
and if these are the last lines,
I’m sorry.
Today has helped me slow
The steps of a lost mind
And if what I put you through
Affected you, to this depth,
So that you’re angry still
I will give you this my parting gift.
You have a future life of pastime.
What we had was past time.
We’ve both grown since last time
And for my last line
I will forever love and cherish you forever
And all time.
And although I would love
Nothing more than to make you all
Mine
Smile because what you have now,
Up or down,
Has been better than what we could
Have accomplished in our time.
Forget the outside influences
And if not your heart
At least give him your mind.”