Page 8 of 10

The vigil

I’ve been waiting
so very, very long.

I’ve waited in theaters
lamenting lime-lit lovers
and back-row teenagers making out –
ruining many-a-romance.

I’ve waited in restaurants
with couples crouched in conversation
over shared dishes and desserts
that have spoiled my appetite.

I’ve waited along the street
as I walked towards my destinations
observing dates in the dark
and intertwined fingers.

I’ve waited at home
watching fake people fake love
and offer promises
which I refuse to pay for.

I’ve waited ‘neath sheets,
so cold that they’re quite cruel,
and through nights spent reaching for you
only to find the edge of the bed.

I’ve been waiting for you –
what would you like to do?

The grace of gracelessness

It’s the way things aren’t mixing right
and powder spilled over the bowl…

It’s the way clumps stick to the spoon
and dirtying three while stirring…

It’s the way I blush wondering
if people would eat the cookies
if they saw me behind closed doors…

It’s wanting people to like them
and offer the high compliment
of a stolen second helping…

It’s the way baking reminds me
of so many clumsy first dates.

Aged

When I was a younger man,
life was constant race
up a narrow staircase.

But these days feel like
standing in an open field
not knowing which way to go…

Atlas

I am a breath, a voice, a song.
I am steps and sprints and stumbles.
I am a gentleman, a scholar, and a lover.
I am ideals and dreams and a journey beyond the horizon.

I am none of these if I can’t summon up the courage to be myself beneath the burdens of the world.