And just like 
that poof one 
more poof like 
I’m some little 
locomotive lumbering up
a steep incline 
or poof a
steam cloud disappearing 
or hopes poof
one minute there
the next not
oh this love 
train that I’ve 
hitched myself to 

Afraid of love 
no not that 
I am really 
but its aftermath 
oh you know 
of love’s arithmetic 
when the division 
begins after years 
of addition and 
always ends with 
subtraction after subtraction 
until nothing’s left 

And from out
of the blue 
and maybe faraway 
it often comes 
be it rain 
or even rainbow 
foreboding of one 
and forebearing another 
but be it 
storm or sunshine 
this is true 
that one brings 
the other and 
that without the 
other then neither 
will ever be 

If there ever 
was there never 
was or been 
anywhere or anyone 
to get to 
or become or
even bring back 
for whatever was
is no more 
here than there

It’s just noise
squirrels in attic 
possum in basement 
an incessant scratching 
a brain itch
out of reach 
an over again 
and over again 
with little relief 
except for pause 
when it itself 
goes quiet thinking 
bit of this 
some of that
again it starts 
over and over 
and over again 
until again overtakes 
hopes of over