A living room in the forest.
~
Sunday was
Blue, lights, arrival, alone;
Motorcycle, trees, zip ties, fear.
So much fear.
I called you over and over and over and you didnβt answer.
Neither did Bonkers, or Manfred,
Not for a while.
Until eventually you did
And I asked you what to do
And you said
You didnβt know
But that we would figure it out
Tomorrow.
Tomorrow was
Slowness, questions, impatience, text threads;
Moldy cheese, porch cat, noise show, sun.
We all asked each other what to do
And none of us knew
Except you.
We have to go back, you said.
If we donβt go back, they win.
We have to go back,
To that place of fear and turmoil,
And again make it
A place of joy,
A home.
Today is
Pink, plastic, inflatable, couch;
Living room, water buffalo, LARP-ers, alarm.
You told me about Bonkers
A real-life love triangle
Right under my nose
And they asked you what to do
About the cruiser nearby
And you told them.
Then you asked me what to do
And I said
I didnβt know
But that Bonkers is, well -
Maybe it is better to focus
On what you can control.
Tonight will be
Bonfire, mandolin, train hop, folk song;
Sundown, group dinner, cell phone, airport.
Things will feel calm, in a way.
I will choose to go.
And weβll ask each other what to do.
And we will not know.
But we will decide not to talk anymore:
For our mutual safety,
If not our friendship,
It will be better to go silent.
And although tomorrow will be
Failure, bulldozer, molotov, falsehood;
Indictment, conspiracy, courthouse, RICO.
Although tomorrow will be full of pain.
And they will not let it go.
I know you will survive
For it is from you that I learned
Of courage
Of perseverance
Of commitment
And of purpose.
It is because of you
That I believe.