i felt eternity in the prickly hairs of his chest.

tears fell as there was nothing I could do
to halt the melting of his eyelids,
submerging all truth, all aspiration.

why could i not see
that the beyond was all around me?

in an unmoving, unyielding laser focus,
i’ve somehow let it all melt away:
another year swirled down
the drain.

but new years will come;
old years will go.
to the rhythm of time’s drum
i’m planting roses; tomorrow they’ll grow.