again he’s there in the past
but not his past as if time
exists in fragments rearranged
at will or through happenstance
he separates from himself
a mitosis where he watches
himself watching himself
another other than himself
she was there in her past
as was he who was not
a part of this past then
although a part of another
*
he floated on the blue black
depth of his memory’s lake
she sat on the shore later
as in a photograph with friends
she looked up toward the camera
her bikini strap coming unloose
he caught his breath and sank
slowly below the lake’s surface
*
another time within a shared
past a shared place she came
to his door wearing his coat
he had left behind that day
it enwrapped her as he
wanted to enwrap her
with a casual looseness
filled with love and laughter
too shy and honest to risk
consequence he accepted
his coat she said smelled
as she hoped he would smell
hugging the now empty coat
to her face before leaving
him as now lost and wondering
what had passed between them
*
and then as time and dreams do
a memory not a memory
had them in conversation
as another waited nearby
he wondered if writer’s wrote
by gender more of lovers
or love then spoke a line
from Sexton never written
her friend from memory
recited the non-existent anne
entire and lovely in all
he felt ashamed and excluded
stunned by his presumption
they left to study for exams
he left and found bottles
of bourbon and pear brandy
later she returned bashful
and beautiful as he touched
her hair she smiled and asked
if he would share a drink
*
filled with too much nothing
he spoke as mere decoration
wanting to talk to someone
who would answer back with love
(March 24, 2016)
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