When I imagine love
I see a fire
In a dense thicket
Glowing and dancing drawing
Those near and far
To come and warm
Attracting all creatures closer
Closer shyly closer until
Each one finally understands
The why they’re here
At first it’s curiosity
And then it’s heat
And finally it’s comfort
Knowing that we’re all
The same and indeed
Seeking the same simple
Thing in the thicket
And like an early
Dawn low horizon sun
That moves across a
Cat tailed lightly frozen
Pond your morning smile
Warms me and dissolves ice
That has crept across my
Mind from night’s dream
Awakening teeming life that
My heart swims for
You making me jump
And dive into your
Arms with a kiss
Since I know that
You’re watching I’m
Going to prance around
And act silly and
Maybe make you laugh
And then fall next
To you and watch
The sun dance through
The orange leaves of
Autumn listening to you
Trying to convince me
That’s my favorite color
Stuck in the middle
Between hither and nigh
Rock and hard place
The present and past
Squeezed in vices jaws
You simply can’t breathe
There’s that thing over
There that once was
Sweet comfortable and succulent
But has now soured
And this thing here
Plump exciting and promising
Cautious teasing and playful
Turning away from one
And towards the other
Causes a hearts thunderstorm
Cold and warm fronts
Colliding and me the
Kansas town hunkering down
Hoping for the best
I had a conversation
With myself yesterday
In the form of
Another maybe a younger
Different me with the
Same swagger and slowly
Rising beads of confidence
He wants what I
Now have and upon
Hearing that I wept
And hearing myself say
To this other version
Oh you will lad
Oh yeah you will
HARLAN DIDRICKSON 