Poetry: Others Talk of Love Affairs

I talk of our friendship

The way others talk of love affairs:

 

The subtle start—

“Hello” and “Oh you too?”

Then smiles in crowds

And phone numbers exchanged

Inside jokes about

Nothing

At all.

 

And a few glorious, burning

Summer months:

Late night phone calls

And café lunches

Secrets shared between the dark moments

Of midnight and 2 a.m.

 

And tragedy of course—

(Remember, this is a romance novel)

Just enough to keep us honest, on our toes

Left my phone’s volume on

At night

In case you called

In tears.

 

All of this story in past tense

“All good things,” they warned…

And they were right, as always

 

But I realize now

You closed the door

Cut yourself off

If the phone stops ringing, I’ll stop picking up

 

And no matter how long I stare at the door

Pace next to it

Pick the lock to pieces in my mind

Until I’ve gone insane with the realization:

I’m glad it’s closed

It doesn’t change the fact that

You ended things first

You closed the door

That I walk away from now

 

And I don’t know if I can

Ever forgive you.