And then like
Immersing myself in
You like a
Novel I’ve become
Entwined in your
Story becoming one
Of your characters
Riding the wave
Of your life
Like a surfer
And then at
Night when I
Dog ear the
Page and place
You beside me
I know that
I will carry
Your story with
Me through slumber
I grew weary
Of fishing in
A trout pond
Assured of catching
Trout with little
Lure I dreamed
Of fly fishing
Me one with
The river knee
Deep wading into
Treacherous icy cold
Currents and silently
Dropping a fly
Over head one
With the canyon
Never certain that
I’d get nibbles
Until up you
Lunged a shimmering
Rainbow snatching my
Hook struggle we
Did until at
Long last you
Were beside me
Unhooking you I
Did throwing you
Back to swim
And yet you
Stayed beside me
Still free to
Choose either me
Or the river
Silent having been
Brought to my
Knees by a
Crippling blow I
Remain still gathering
Thoughts and awareness
Calculating a strike
Or surrender I
Remain humble at
Last the hand
Of God turns
My head to
The heavens assuring
That this defeat
Is but one
Battle in this
Thing called life
I have always
Wanted to find
Someone like you
Studied tea leaves
Peered into crystal
Balls knowing that
Somewhere in the
Vast Universe that
You were there
I gazed into
The night sky
Wondering how I
Would reach you
Then
A tiny tap
Upon my shoulder
Like a snowflake
Turned me and
There you were
Sent through the
Eons but you
Were always here
Having been my
Shadow ever since
I remembered shadows
Yes love is
Just as close
As just that
It’s easy to
Write about you
Because when I
See things I
Think about you
It’s easy to
Hold you because
Every time I
Do I feel
Held by something
As big as
Time it’s easy
To love you
Because loving you
Is like taking
Long deep breaths
Of fresh air
HARLAN DIDRICKSON 