we (past perfect)
 

I’d tell you I loved you if I knew what it meant so

            we sit here in silence,

surrounded by failing or sullied ideals, embalmed

Our quaint idiosynchracies have proven themselves

The mutual ground between us

Is being partitioned, allotted, and burned

Former liens all null and void.  The void.  We’re numb

We want to salvage something, make good on one last promise

Bound by mutual and simultaneously expressed self-pity and loathing.

Redeem a token or hope like entombed coke bottles from the basement

Or misplaced and forgotten war bonds that must be interred here somewhere.

We were saving these for something.  They had a reason or we wouldn’t have held onto them for so long

But all we can do is hold each other, looking past and beyond, over a shoulder we needed

Or close our eyes and hope darkness will make the now hurt less

 

 
©1999 Nathan Barnett