The_Fool
smiling for the camera
- Joined
- Jan 14, 2003
- Posts
- 17,755
Oh Wicked. *heavy sigh*
This poem had promise. Okay, no it didn't. It was always going to be maudlin. I hate maudlin. But I put way too much time in it not to throw it out there. I didn't even throw in a....nevermind.
Crepe paper streamers
Decorate a dingy gym.
Long ago tunes
Sing of lost time
And innocence.
“My Name Is …” tags
put half-forgotten names
to stranger’s faces.
Stilted conversations,
Hugs and remonstrations,
As old friends renew acquaintance.
Reveling in the old
Boasting of the new.
No one admits
To less than perfect lives
Perfect husbands or perfect wives.
Twenty years of living
Line my face.
Sorrow in my eyes
Speaks of castoff dreams,
A broken marriage,
and chances that passed me by.
Morbid thoughts are my mistake.
I find myself restless for change
A desire to go away.
I have no desire
To regurgitate the past.
To share in the repast
Of false camaraderie
As we chew on old memories.
Rising from my chair
I am suddenly aware
Of her moving
The look on her face
Puts expression to my mood
As we both work our way
Toward the door.
Wanting something more.
A smile of thanks on her face
As I hold open the door
Sends my thoughts to a place
That rocks me to the core.
Twenty years have passed my by
And not a week has passed
Without a sigh
Of wistful memory
Of this woman that I see
Standing her in front of me.
My expression
Must have given me away.
For there was nothing I could say.
She looked at me again
Then it was as if she could see
The man in front of her was really me.
For a moment we forgot to breathe
As thoughts scattered to the wind.
Unable to resist
I started to reach for her.
I looked deep in her eyes,
Seeing her tears swirl through mine.
With a will of its own
My hand reached for her face.
Touching that place.
Where I laid my first kiss.
Twenty years ago
The memory striking like a blow.
I’d found the love of my life.
Thinking I’d make her my wife.
But in a heated exchange
I turned my back
Refusing to apologize
Not about to compromise
Stupid in my pride
I walked away
And away I stayed.
Until it was to late to take it back
She was history
No matter what she meant to me
I was way to blind to see
All that was left was misery.
My first thought was to apologize
Wanting to take back all the lies
Wanting to turn back all the years
To forget the pain and all the tears.
The many conversations
That had played through my mind
Rehearsed apologies
Gone through time after time
Should have left me with plenty to say.
But I found myself unable to start.
“I love you.”
Did I really say that?
Her sudden smile said I did.
A smile of amusement
But eyes filled with pain.
“You haven’t changed.”
Was her reply.
And then she cried.
Over drinks in a bar.
In the park in my car.
We spoke of years apart.
We spoke of broken marriages
And kids.
We covered college and work.
Caught up on friends and family.
Anything but her an me.
The sun began to rise
And we realized it was time for goodbyes
I took her back to her car.
Looking at her she was so near
But so very, very far.
There was nothing I could say,
Except goodbye.
So she turned to go her way.
I can’t say why I reached out.
I don’t know why I pulled her close.
Our kiss was filled with need.
I didn’t know where it would lead.
But she was in my arms.
And I held her tight.
It felt so right.
Especially when she looked at me and smiled.
just another damn fool
This poem had promise. Okay, no it didn't. It was always going to be maudlin. I hate maudlin. But I put way too much time in it not to throw it out there. I didn't even throw in a....nevermind.
Crepe paper streamers
Decorate a dingy gym.
Long ago tunes
Sing of lost time
And innocence.
“My Name Is …” tags
put half-forgotten names
to stranger’s faces.
Stilted conversations,
Hugs and remonstrations,
As old friends renew acquaintance.
Reveling in the old
Boasting of the new.
No one admits
To less than perfect lives
Perfect husbands or perfect wives.
Twenty years of living
Line my face.
Sorrow in my eyes
Speaks of castoff dreams,
A broken marriage,
and chances that passed me by.
Morbid thoughts are my mistake.
I find myself restless for change
A desire to go away.
I have no desire
To regurgitate the past.
To share in the repast
Of false camaraderie
As we chew on old memories.
Rising from my chair
I am suddenly aware
Of her moving
The look on her face
Puts expression to my mood
As we both work our way
Toward the door.
Wanting something more.
A smile of thanks on her face
As I hold open the door
Sends my thoughts to a place
That rocks me to the core.
Twenty years have passed my by
And not a week has passed
Without a sigh
Of wistful memory
Of this woman that I see
Standing her in front of me.
My expression
Must have given me away.
For there was nothing I could say.
She looked at me again
Then it was as if she could see
The man in front of her was really me.
For a moment we forgot to breathe
As thoughts scattered to the wind.
Unable to resist
I started to reach for her.
I looked deep in her eyes,
Seeing her tears swirl through mine.
With a will of its own
My hand reached for her face.
Touching that place.
Where I laid my first kiss.
Twenty years ago
The memory striking like a blow.
I’d found the love of my life.
Thinking I’d make her my wife.
But in a heated exchange
I turned my back
Refusing to apologize
Not about to compromise
Stupid in my pride
I walked away
And away I stayed.
Until it was to late to take it back
She was history
No matter what she meant to me
I was way to blind to see
All that was left was misery.
My first thought was to apologize
Wanting to take back all the lies
Wanting to turn back all the years
To forget the pain and all the tears.
The many conversations
That had played through my mind
Rehearsed apologies
Gone through time after time
Should have left me with plenty to say.
But I found myself unable to start.
“I love you.”
Did I really say that?
Her sudden smile said I did.
A smile of amusement
But eyes filled with pain.
“You haven’t changed.”
Was her reply.
And then she cried.
Over drinks in a bar.
In the park in my car.
We spoke of years apart.
We spoke of broken marriages
And kids.
We covered college and work.
Caught up on friends and family.
Anything but her an me.
The sun began to rise
And we realized it was time for goodbyes
I took her back to her car.
Looking at her she was so near
But so very, very far.
There was nothing I could say,
Except goodbye.
So she turned to go her way.
I can’t say why I reached out.
I don’t know why I pulled her close.
Our kiss was filled with need.
I didn’t know where it would lead.
But she was in my arms.
And I held her tight.
It felt so right.
Especially when she looked at me and smiled.
just another damn fool
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