Where he said he’d meet
You, on the beach, Lake
Michigan. But he
Never showed; you just
Waited until the
Tide went out and the
Sun lowered itself
In the sky like a
Fat lady on her
Chamber ***. There were
Few people on the
Beach, even less when
You realized that he
Wasn’t going to
Come and turned for home.
You’d worn your new coat
And hat, had your hair
Done, your face made up,
All for that. Him not
Showing. The wind blew
At your clothes, lifting
The hem of your long
Dress, revealing your
Ankles and shoes. You
Watched the sea and wide
Horizon, waiting
Patiently, smelling
The sea salt, hearing
The roar of waves on
The sandy shore. Still
He never showed up.
Never came, despite
His kind promises,
Despite all the hot
******* the day
Before. All lies it
Seemed, him, his soft words,
And his deep blue eyes,
Deceiving beneath
The shell. There was a
Chill, a biting of
The flesh, a nipping
Of the thin fingers;
But hope was still there
Inside, despite all
That, like smoke hangs in
The still dry air, like
An echo lingers.
A woman and the lover who never showed. (Old poem)