Being alone adrift
Untethered like a
Balloon or boat
Free from string
Or anchor left
To wind or
Current carrying or
Moving me until
At last I
Land safely there
Somewhere and someone
Will find me
Curious at how
Or surely why
But never when
For when well
When is always
The perfect time
And sometimes in
Life you bend
Down to pluck
A flower from
The pasture as
You’ve done many
Other times before
When one this
One the one
That you want
More than any
Other won’t budge
Pull and pull
Dig and pry
Beg and swear
And still it
Remains steadfast there
Rooted right where
It belongs leaving
It you can’t
Instead down you
Lay next to
It giving in
For to be
Without this flower
Is far worse
Than having it
In its way
Life and love
Exist in willingness
There is this
Thing called knowing
Gnawing at me
A voice that
Only grows louder
When I’m alone
I heard it
First when young
Begging to belong
To capitulate to
Ignore my moral
Compass and sail
On the fickle
Winds of others
But now at
This age of
My own life
Having conquered my
World and wars
I finally listen
Understanding that this
Voice of knowing
Knows me better
Than anyone else
Bringing the peace
Of my age
And so I
Tried this once
Like an experiment
Back in Denver
I went to
The same bar
At the same
Time I ordered
The same cocktail
Sat on the
Same stool and
Talked to the
Same bartender about
The same things
Every single day
For two weeks
Rather than causing
Suspicion from patrons
It caused curiosity
Who was he
This dependable creature
It’s simply me
Knowing that if
A dish is
Placed among mongrels
And feral cats
Eventually they dine
Without any effort
From me besides
Kindness and consistency
For most are
Frightened by things
Unusual at first
But eventually will
Come to me
Rather than me
Pleading for attention
I grew weary
Of the constant
Knock knock knocking
Of strangers on
My door only
To open it
To so many
No ones or
Potential someone’s that
Quickly descended into
No ones that
I drilled a
Hole to peek
Out thereby avoiding
My wasted time
But I discovered
After a while
That my idea
Of evaluating someone
Based upon appearance
Made me a
Very lonely man
So off the
Door came and
No more knocking
For all were
Welcome here now
HARLAN DIDRICKSON 