My dear boy
This I know
The great relationships
Of your life
Will be adaptable
They will flex
And move like
A River willow
They will give
Shade like a
Prairie oak when
Life’s blazing heat
Weakens you they
Will wither and
Fall like elms
In late autumn
And then with
Time they will
Sprout again like
Garden daffodils bringing
Glee and joy
These relationships last
Forever because they
Know that they’re
Not there for
Just a season
And in the
Moonlight that blankets
Your now sleeping
Form a distant
Melody dances like
Fireflies above the
Bed prompting me
To study the
Black keys of
Your rib cage
My fingers dancing
Lightly there like
Plump little bumblebees
So as not
To awaken you
But simply to
Play Debussy’s DeLune
Making you into
My music box
I don’t write
Because I want
To or because
It’s easy or
Fun or gets
Me noticed or
Makes me happy
I write in
Order to understand
So goes love
We don’t only
Love because we
Want to or
Because it’s easy
Or fun or
Gets us noticed
Or makes us
Happy we love
In order to
Understand those simplest
Of simple things
And there is
A day here
In America on
The last Thursday
In November when
The skies are
Grey and littered
With snow and
The wind blows
Cold against faces
That people carry
Pots dishes pans
Wine and desserts
Into friendly houses
To gather around
A table giving
Thanks for those
Most important things
The greatest of
Which are their
Families however that
Group is defined
A day of
Laughter and football
Of stories and
Old jokes of
Belly busting feasts
Here in America
Today is Thanksgiving
Happy Thanksgiving to
My friends and
Family I’m thinking
Of you all
I’d like to
Know you but
No knowing you
Leads to knew
You I’d like
To think of
You but thinking
You leads to
Thought you I’d
Like to like
You but liking
You requires knowing
And thinking which
For me eventually
Leads to love
Then had loved
Maybe nothing is
Better than the
Something I lost
HARLAN DIDRICKSON 