He said.

Let me ask you something,
If you don’t mind.
Lay my head on your shoulder
Wrap myself in your storm,
Where it’s safe
Where it’s warm.
Let me tell you something.
I promise it’s something real.
Let me tell you something,
Something about my self.
Something I’ve never told a soul
Not even myself
Out of fear
Out of the knowledge I wouldn’t be understood,
Known
Confirming my solitude
Confirming I’m alone.

I’m a middle aged, middle child
Born to middle class means,
In the middle of a country
That values extremes.
I don’t know what that means
If anything
In the greater scheme
If anything,
But I do know
I do believe
I’m happiest in my middle life,
That world I find between.
Between the absurdity of the waking world
And the lucid world of dreams
Where anything is possible
And nothing is what it seems.
There lies the creative world
Combining the two.
There I find that amazing world
That led me straight to you.

She said.

I’m from another place
just south and to the east
most all my days
spent barefoot
‘cept those
spent on my knees
‘cept those I walked
in the darkness
searching for a light
would burn
with me
the brighter
of suns within the night
written word
and followed maps
we made of yesterday
across the plains
o’er other sands
would lead me back
this way
from middle
to the north
south of everything
your road
a gravel lane
you chiseled every rock
were steps (to where I’m going)
a path to bring me home

He said.

So here we are.
A fortuitous interlude
Where life fades away
Concerns and fear allay
Dreams and visions hold sway.
An oasis
In the midst of this convoluted jungle.
Temperate winds
Beneath a sky so blue.
But it’s not like us to savor the moment
It’s not like us to let time slip by
Unexamined, unquestioned.
So we search the drifting clouds
For purpose,
For meaning.
But it’s up to us to provide that meaning,
Wouldn’t you agree?
Meaning is the gift we give
Purpose the reason we survive, we live?

She said.

There’s so much more
than this,
a life to spend in search of bliss
as sighs held captive to a kiss…
begin to give us answer.
There’s wings
with light their only truth,
days behind we hid the proof,
gave the best to wasted youth,
knew we’d come to nothing.
Let’s just pretend
for a moment now
we’re in this place
as fate allowed,
will find our way to truth
(somehow),
much stronger for the journey.

She said, it’s no more
than a day
just close your eyes
and know the way
is open where we left before
the same we came
to follow…

close your eyes
reach out your hand
there’s much
that I don’t understand
but I’ll show you what I do
and then…
when we have passed
into the light
we’ll remember this
(redeeming night)
when truth bespoke
of wisdom’s plight
was here we lingered
out of sight
an oasis
for the moment

He said.

You make me laugh
At myself
At the simplicity of it all.
Why did I make it so complicated?
When it was as plain and true and beautiful
As you
And this moment.
This moment.

So long I’ve wandered
So long I’ve searched
Desperate to find reason
To conquer why
To slay doubt
And all the while
It was here
In your arms.

The only truth
The only meaning,
The only reason,
To love and be loved.
No matter how briefly.
How deeply.

How lovely.

She said.

was not for you decided
I never asked
(how could I ask)
when was always mine
to give (to hold)
however brief
(eternity shall pass
and start all over)
was not for you decided
I never asked
(why would I ask).