It was
A photo
A quick
Hello a
Question that
Ignited the
Flame of
Friendship the
Idea of
Someone new
Of stories
About miracles
And tragedies
Akin to
Withdrawing a
Book from
Many others
Studying the
Cover the
Deckled pages
And reading
The first
Words and
So it
Began just
Like this
And upon
Looking and
Not seeing
I picked
Up not
A telescope
But a
Kaleidoscope in
Where I
At long
Last brought
You near
In there
I spied
Your colors
And design
All dancing
Before me
Twirling your
Jacket a
Cape and
Your smile
A mirror
Ball I
Imagined you
There before
Me watching
You dance
With your
Daughters and
Knew then
That you
Belonged right
There not
Here only
With them
We all
Love a
Blossom budding
But once
The bloom
Drops and
All your
Left with
Is a
Thorny stick
Will you
Still admire
Me as
You do
With fireworks
Or as
With fireworks
Will admiration
Fizzle when
The sky
Returns to
Dark if
So don’t
Look upon
Me now
But keep
Your stare
Elsewhere upon
Perpetual beauty
For I
Like you
Will fall
One day
And be
Nothing more
Beautiful than
Thorny thickets
Eyes like
Quarry water
Deep dark
Mysterious
Cheeks like
Cliffs far
Above difficult
To scale
Outcropping lips
Soft like
The insides
Of rose
Petals full
Like succulent
Peaches brushed
With the
Faintest of
Ash drawn
By wisps
Of brush
A jaw
Like trapezoids
Sharp and
Angular and
Hair like
Deep brown
Riverletts cascading
Like waterfalls
Over the
Cliffs and
Into the
Pools of
Your clavicle
How many
Times must
I spy
And remain
Distant like
The sun
To the
Beauty of
The moon
Try to
Remember this
The future
Isn’t dark
It’s very
Bright but
Since we
Live in
Darkness it
Blinds us
Upon entering
Have faith
Step forward
Cover your
Eyes and
Squint to
See the
Stepping stones
HARLAN DIDRICKSON 