I live in
A room in
A house and
People bring me
All sorts of
Things all sorts
Of things really
Troubles problems jokes
Lunch and dinner
Bills to pay
Things to want
Hair brained ideas
And oh comfort
I like my
Very little room
With my Bach
And my Bethoven
My disco afternoons
And jazz nights
I stay here
Others escape here
In my tiny
Very little room
Like a leaf
That falls upon
My shoulder on
It’s way to
The forests floor
Or a snowflake
That lands upon
My tongue before
Disappearing there or
A bubble whose
Surface shimmers a
Rainbow before delicately
Popping or even
Like that one
Old stale joke
That makes me
Spit out my
Drink before I
Erupt in laughter
I enjoy most
In life being
Tickled a tickle
To me is
Like the finger
Of God on
My ribs reminding
Me that despite
Everything else I
Am still here
I beg you
I’m begging you
Before we begin
To understand this
I will forgive
I will forgive
You for everything
Everything you do
If to me
Or to others
Or even yourself
Because that’s love
But I won’t
I won’t forget
I will never
Forget I won’t
Forget them and
I won’t forget
You because if
I love you
And forgive you
It’s impossible for
Me to ever
Ever forget you
I beg you
I’m begging you
To understand this
Before we begin
That you can’t
You simply can’t
Have one and
Not the other
They are twins
Once at a
Train station I
Saw this man
Struggling with baggage
So many bags
Heavy bags burdensome
Bags bags that
Obviously had seen
Wars and triumphs
I helped him
Load them into
The train and
Once seated he
Asked me sir
You only have
One bag are
You traveling near
No I said
I’m going to
The other side
Of the world
With just one
Bag he said
One bag is
All I need
I plan on
Meeting people and
People don’t fit
Into bags things
Do and things
Are not people
No matter how
Much that you
Wish they were
Wrinkles are known
As times roadmap
They represent years
Of laughter and
Years of heartbreak
A face with
No wrinkles is
A face that
Hasn’t said a
Goodbye to someone
The last time
Or the hello
To someone thought
To be lost
Look into a
Face with wrinkles
And know that
There are the
Mysteries of life
HARLAN DIDRICKSON 