Right before I step
Forward my past steps
In front of me
The reason why I
Am even here now
It is too late
For your dessert now
It’s on the house
So since it’s free
I’m supposed to what
Indulge maybe over indulge
No my sweet you
Promised to be dinner
And now that I’m
Finished I simply have
No room for you
You don’t know you
Just don’t know how
Many times I pulled
Up but never got
Out you don’t know
How many letters or
How many texts I
Started and then deleted
Knowing that when you
Walked out you walked
Out of us and
Back into only you
I was a stranger now
And if we ever
Should stumble upon each
Other it would be
No better no worse
No more familiar or
No more odd than
The very first time
Sometimes letting people go
Gives them a chance
To come back once
They are ready to
And he was ready
It’s funny needing things
You make bad decisions
Plugging holes in dikes
Which is what I
Tried to hopelessly do
Everything was just fine
Until the storms came
Not even my hands
Could stop the surge
Down I finally went
You washed to sea
Me alone bobbing aimlessly
You out of sight
I pulled myself ashore
And made my peace
Knowing you were somewhere
Now maybe even happier
And just when my
Waterproofing dried in comes
Another trickle where’d that
Come from following the
Winding wetness I see
An open window a
Photograph loosely taped to
The side of some
Other obscure memory slumping
To the humid concrete
Of my hearts basement
I admit I’m doomed
The water will win
He will always find
A way to remind
Me that he was
Once here still is
And always will be
I just saw a
Photo of someone else
Who I thought was
You but I knew
Wasn’t but the pangs
Of missing you reminded
Me of just how
Much I really do
HARLAN DIDRICKSON 