In  1964,  60 years ago,  I  was  16
and she was 14. Two souls searching
the universe  and when we met,  the
searching was over.

And I still think about her and those
crazy days together, her young skin
on my fingertips, her young  lips  on
mine.

But the Vietnam war turned my world
upside down and I would never be the
same.  

As I turn 76 today I go into the depths
of night to find my voice - thoughts forming
into feelings, then words on paper.

A poet navigating a tainted world.

When  you cannot  control  what's
happening, challenge yourself to control
the way you respond to what's happening.
That is where your power is.  

I write to capture fleeting moments, to fight
the PTSD in my head from a war, to capture
memories of young love and deep desires.
                                                                                             Jon York   2024