The Space Between Me and You

Feeling left out
Cannot participate and
Share my own experiences
Even though there’s an
Open invitation
What I lived so far
Not pertinent
Topics for conversation

Maybe I deserve this–
Days filled with
Small talk triggered agitation
Forbidden feelings towards strangers
Esoteric curiosity
Estrangement from others
Fulfilment from escapism
Maybe I brought it
Upon myself–
After years measured by
Buttons pressed on the controller
Binging Internet streaming videos
Pages turned real and digital
Stanzas written rhymed and unrhymed
Miles traveled on foot or by vehicle
Calories consumed and hopefully burned–
I have doomed myself

There was a time
When making
An identical copy
Violated laws

Now it’s
Allowed
Encouraged
Trendy

“An impossible shot
Even for me”

She plays with bugs and
Talks to plants
He reads books and
Writes poetry

“How to get
These two together?”
Mused the
Chubby winged boy
Armed with bow and arrow

Everyday writing muted bland–
Ingredient labels
Astrology forecasts
Greeting card text

I wish I could impress
Loudly with flavor
Any stranger with my words–
Word food for everyone!
Candy without the sugar calories
Tasty plant-based protein
Comforting takeout dishes
Nostalgic cozy meals
Poetry as chicken soup
Poetry as home baked cookies
Poetry as a summer day’s root beer float

Break’s over
Back to work

Minutes before sunrise
The low tide had extended
The beach and exposed
More shoreline that
Would be normally hidden
To human eyes–

“This is a good time
To say goodbye
I want you to be happy
Living through moments
Without fear
Maybe you’ll come back
And start your own family
I won’t know it if you do
But I can only hope”

The animal rescuer released
The final turtle
As minutes ticked away
The sun began to rise

When the heart
Doesn’t stir
Solitude refreshes
Comforts as a cozy coat

When the heart
Starts to skip a beat–
Alone thus ambushed
By one’s thoughts

When the heart
Is steady but free
Beauty geometry
Symmetry within thee

When the heart
Has been captured
It flag waves until it
Blinds mind all the time

When the heart
Is centered
Stormy emotions
Cannot nudge it

When the heart
Is lost
One drowns
Even when grounded

When the heart
Is mind
Unified in real time
Human yet divine

Three knocks at the door
From the one thing I abhor
A persistent flying chubby boy
Armed with bow and arrow

Not sure if
I want to leave

If I know that
I’ve been spotted
I feel tainted