WHEN LOVE WAITS ONLY SO LONG...
SOMETIMES MEMORIES COME BACK
AND I SIT THERE GOING YES
I DID THE RIGHT THING NO MATTER WHAT...
THE OUTCOME WAS...
WHEN LOVE WAITS ONLY SO LONG…
LOOKED AWAY FROM
THE PENETRATING EYES
AND SHE HELD MY CHIN
“I AM NOT ASKING MORE
THAN I SHOULD”
SOMETIMES I HATE
WHAT THIS IS
DOING TO ME
ALL THE EMOTIONS
UP AND DOWN
CHURNING IN AND OUT
THIS FEELING THAT
INTRUDES INTO
MY MIND AT THE THOUGHT
OF BEING ABLE
TO EVEN DARE TO TOUCH.
HER FINGERS MOVED
FROM HER CHIN
UP ACROSS HER CHEEK
AND I HELD MY BREATH.
WAITING FOR YOU
TO COME
AND KISS ME
AS I GAZE INTO HER
EYES.
OH THE DARK
AND UNFATHOMABLE EYES
TO THE BRIGHT
ELECTRIC SHADES
OF THE DRASTIC
CONTRASTING BLUE
OF MINE
JUST AS UNFATHOMABLE
OH HOW YOU KNOW
HOW TO
SPARK THE BLOOD
IN THE CLEARING
OF THE AIR HERE
ON THIS WONDERFUL
PAGE OF THOUGHTS
CAUSE ITS JUST
SIMPLY THAT WAY
I CAN BE SOMETIMES
OH NEVER
NEVER HAVE I WANTED
NOTHING
MORE THAN TO BE
IN MY FAVORITE
PLACE
WHICH WOULD
BE IN BED WITH YOU
MY DEAR
AS I DREAM ON
WATCHING
A QUICK FEATHER LIGHT
BRUSH OF YOUR
LIPS LIKE A GHOST
PUSHING IN THE AIR
AGAINST EACH OF US
THEN SUDDENLY
LIKE NOTHING
LET GO AND WALKED AWAY
OH TO FEEL AS I STARE
THE BEMUSED LOOKS
OF OTHERS WHEN
YOU WERE GONE FROM ME
BUT TO THE THOUGHTS
OF HER FINGERTIPS
ON HER FACE
WHERE SHE HAD TOUCHED
MAKING MY HEART
RACE AT THE
TEASING ACTION.
SHE SAID I WILL
SEE YOU LATER
KEEP THE CANDLE LIT
IN THE WINDOW
TIL I GET BACK
I SIGH AND NOD
AND SHUT THE DOOR
KNOWING MY OPINION
IN THIS MEANS
ABSOLUTELY NOTHING
TO SHOW A LITTLE
PATIENCE
AND NO WORRY
FOR I KNOW WHERE
I STAND IN THIS
ITS JUST
A MATTER
OF TIME I LET MY
HEART CATCH UP
WITH MY HEAD
ON WHATS REALLY
GOING ON
I SENSE IT
I SEE IT
I CAN EVEN TASTE
IT IN THE AIR
I RETURN TO THE PLACE
SO SILENT
AND LOCK IS IN PLACE
AND THE CHAIN
SLIDING OVER
I CLOSE MY EYES
AND SIGH
BACK TO DRIFTING
OFF INTO A MEMORY
REWARD COMES TO THOSE
THAT DESERVE IT
AND WAIT FOR IT
AT LEAST THAT IS WHAT
I ALWAYS THOUGHT
GROWING UP
BUT TO HEAR THOSE WORDS
OH TWO OUT OF THREE
ISN’T SO BAD HUN
LEAVES A SCAR
ON THE HEART
TO MATCH ALL THE OTHERS
ITS A MATTER FOR
YOUR CONSCIENCE TO DEAL
WITH
EVERYTHING SAID
CUTS LIKE A KNIFE
STILL HOLD ONTO
TWO HALVES OF THIS HEART
FOR YEARS
FLOWING INTO THE MEMORY
NOW… SHE RAISED
HER EYES A SWEET
INNOCENT TONE
THERE WAS NO STEALING
OF THIS HEART
BECAUSE IT WAS LONG
GONE A CENTURY
OR TWO AGO
SO NOT TO RAISE
YOUR DISPLEASURE
WE LIVED BY THE
DOUBLE STANDARDS
OF WHERE NOW HER
HUSBAND NO LONGER SITS
NOR DO I
NO DIFFERENT THAN
ANYONE ELSE
IN THE END OF THINGS
WHO WOULD REACT
TO THIS KNOWING
IN MY HEART
YEARS AND YEARS LATER
ALL THIS TIME
IT WAS THERE UNDERNEATH
PLAYING ITS CARDS
WAITING TO DEAL IT OUT
MY BELLY WAS KNOTTED
WITH TENSION
AND EVERY BITE OF FOOD
TASTED SO AWFUL
WITH NO FLAVOR
OR MEANING
ALL I WANTED WAS TO
WALK OUT THE DOOR
AND NEVER LOOK BACK
BUT THEN
I SAT THERE
AND MADE THIS CONNECTION
OH ITS BEEN SO LONG
A WAIT
I HEAR IN MY HEAD
BEWARE AS I READ
THE TEXT
I WILL SOON JOIN YOU
AS ITS WRITTEN ON THE PHONE
A FEW HOURS GO BY
IT WAS STILL EARLY
AND I HEAR YOU
WALK TO THE DOOR.
SEEING YOU PUT
YOUR STUFF DOWN
I WALK SILENTLY
BEHIND YOU
PUT MY ARMS AROUND
YOU HUGGING
YOU SO CLOSE
SAYING IS IT ALL GOING
OK
OUR BED IS WAITING
TO TAKE YOUR MIND
OFF
OH TO THAT MISSING PULSE
OF HOW I COULD
SEPARATE EVERYTHING
AND LET IT RIDE
SOMEWHERE DEEP
DOWN INSIDE
STILL AMAZES ME
ON THE NEED
TO BE FRUSTRATED
AND ANGRY
HAD NO PLACE BUT
IN LIMBO
I SIT DOWN AND FALL
INTO YOUR LAP
AS
SHE SAID
WELL THE MUSIC
WAS STILL GOING WELL
I JUST SMILED
AND SAID IT ALWAYS
DOES IN ITS SMALL WAY
SHE SAID YEAH
BUT I AM TIRED
OF MAKING THE APPEARANCES
I SAID THEN WALK AWAY
FROM IT ALL
AND JUST STAY HERE
WITH ME
FOR AWHILE LONGER
SHE SAID I WISH I COULD
BUT THAT IS NOT
HOW IT WILL BE
AND YOU KNOW IT
BUT WE HAVE
RIGHT HERE AND NOW
I EXPECTED
MY HEART TO EXPLODE
AS I SAID OK
BUT INSIDE I WAS SCREAMING
WHY DO I ALWAYS
LET THIS GET
SO FAR FAR AWAY
FROM WHERE
I SHOULD LET IT BE
NO WHEN YOU LEAVE
THIS TIME
NEXT TIME
I WON’T BE HERE
BUT FOR NOW
I LOOKED OUT THE WINDOW
YOUR BREATH ON
MY NECK
I SAID
I AM SURE IT WILL
BE AS GREAT
AS EXPECTED
I FEEL THE GENTLE KISSES
THERE
NOT ANOTHER WORD
IS SPOKEN
FROM THIS POINT
ON I LEAN
MY HEAD BACK
AND WE JUST SIT THERE
IN THE CHAIR SILENT
WE BOTH KNEW
CHANGES WERE COMING
I WAS FINISHING
THE FIRST ROUND
OF THE SECOND YEAR
IN COLLEGE
AND THEY WERE
ABOUT TO LEAVE
TO GO TO NEW YORK
OUR EYES FASTEN ONTO
EACH OTHER
FEEL YOUR HANDS
RAISE UNDER MY SHIRT
AND START ROAMING
YOUR EYES
ALL SHINING AND
TWINKLING
IN THEIR GEMS
MY HAND REACHES UP
UNDER TO LOCK
WITH YOURS
AND JUST HOLD YOU
TO MY CHEST
CLOSER
OH SO ACUTELY
AWARE OF WHERE
YOUR MIND IS
COMPARED TO WHERE
MINE IS
YET I NOTICE THE CREY
COLOR IN MY SHIRT
AS I SEE RIGHT THROUGH IT
AND HOW THIN
IT REALLY IS GOING
OH I AM SURE
THAT IS PARTLY WHY
YOU KISS MY LIPS
AND I GLANCE UP
TO THE STAIRS TO
THE END OF THE STUDY
AND FIRMLY LOCK
YOUR ARMS
AROUND MY WAIST
AND SAY INTO MY EAR
I NEED NOW
I SIGH AND REACH
BACK PULLING
YOUR HEAD INTO MINE
AND KISS YOU
HARSHLY
AND SHOVE YOU BACK
SAYING
I KNOW YOU DO
JUMPING UP
SAYING IF YOU NEED
THEN COME CATCH ME
AND I GO TO THE STAIRS
RUSHING UP
AND
I SLIP
AND START TO FALL BACK
WITH SHOCK
YOU ARE THERE
TOWERING OVER ME
SAYING ARENT YOU GLAD
I WAS RIGHT BEHIND YOU
TURNING ME AROUND
PULLING ME AGAIN
CLOSE
HOLDING MY WAIST
I STARE AT YOU
AND YOU BACK AT ME
I SMILE
MY FINGERS GO TO
YOUR BUTTONS
AND UNDO THE
FIRST THREE
REACHING IN
ON THE WALL
YOU PUSH ME TO IT
ACROSS THE STAIRWAY
I FEEL MY CHEST
PERK AT THE COOL AIR
THAT IS REPLACED
FROM WHERE MY SHIRT
WAS
AND
I LET OUT A GASP
THIS IS OUR LAST MOMENT
YOU SAY
YES SO LETS NOT
LET IT GO TO WASTE
THE FEVER FIRE
BEGINS TO RAGE
IN US BOTH
AS MY MEMORY
BRAKES OFF
AND I HEAR THE CAR
DRIVE OFF
I ALWAYS LET
THEM WALK AWAY
ONE DAY
I WILL NOT
AT LEAST THAT IS WHAT
I TOLD MYSELF
LONG AGO
