An idiot makes the same mistake twice.*

That "fatherly advice" is trapped
within my head,
bouncing back and forth,
causing a headache,
but who's to say that
the mistake isn't the cause
of pulsating temples and closed eyes.
In one ear and out the other,
one could hope for.
But these days it's in
one nostril and down the throat.
Down "****'s Creek" in a soluble boat.

But don't call home.
The heart left.
The telephone has been off the hook--
inanimate objects have it easy.

Some months ago, or maybe more,
And oh, we’re both much older now,
We lay sweet tangled in our love,
And careless made each promised vow,

But now that passion is decayed,
And bitter wounds no longer smart,
I’ll conquer love and apathy,
Unwelcome guests in this my heart,

Then let the ties of friendship’s name,
Bind us more close than Cupid’s bow,
Though in the night and early morn,
Faint memories of you may glow,

I made small talk
with your ex-lover at a train station.
I reminisced about dinner,
and I gave him advice on shoes
because he was barefoot.
He kept moving a pen
from pocket to pocket,
the pen being a nice one,
perhaps a gift from his father.
He spoke of sparrows
pecking at him in nightmares.
I commented that the 5:15 was late,
and it disturbed his thoughts,
his face like a geezer startled from a nap.
He never asked about you.
I did mention autumn,
which reminds me of you,
the bare trees trembling
like your legs
on the night you left me.
But before I could complete my thought
the birds had already diminished him.

She was crying
She had before
I'm sure she will again.
She says she wasn't going to anymore.

Hypocrite!

What about what you told me?
You say "I'm ok"
When you're obviously not
You're lying to yourself
And me
You know that!

I was disgusted.
Lying to yourself.
To me.
Don't you know how much I care?!
How much I love you?!
Why would you lie to me then...?
I told you not to say it again.
I told you to promise.
And I will always be here for you.
Even if something somehow changes between us
If you stop loving me
If we fade in some way
I will always love you
My shoulder is for you to cry on
After all,
I don't use it.
I welcome tears
If they come.
But it's not easy for me.
Even if I try

But you have cried around me...
Is it three times now?
I hope I'm not causing it
Somehow
Because I would hate that.
You kept asking me
Before you cried
Why I was looking at you.

Well.
I didn't know what to do.
What to say.
It's tremendously difficult for me
To reach out
Say the things I did.
I don't do well with those things.
But for you
I will always
Always
Always
Try.