Witnessed the looming
Hunter's Moon slash Harvest Moon
full on portentous
in autumnal equinoctial splendor
on our Norfolkian return
- It's huge
- It's following us!
- Quick take a picture
- No, it'll be terrible
- Do it! Oh yes it really is bad
O milky mother blah blah blah
feel free to add or subtract
this tower to/from the lunar millions
of cratered tributes
Such a fine phrase this mystery
of love and what if
your reptilian walnut
Mistakes love concept for
mere acceptance,
polite tolerance
Keep walking &
don't make any smart moves
Don't confuse
a smiling face for a friend
Accidental congress may be
mercenary, witches
She came around
long after we'd stopped seeing each other regularly
Our respective academic careers had recently
taken radically
different paths
mine one of relegation + stagnation, hers
one of predicted + actualised excellence of
which I was (give me some credit) mindful
so provided ++ an excuse for my
withdrawal
It's too late now
I've missed my chance
Briefly reunited we sat on my bed
not even touching elbows
and watched
the first episode of this new show on
my black and white portable tv
Neither of us laughed
it was no Taxi or Soap
our shared references
I found it corny AF tbh
although we wouldn't be saying AF or tbh
for another 40 years and now
I never actually say it at all
All the characters seemed like pupperets
- meant to write puppets -
moving about a chessboard
unresolved quips, simplistic
quirks as defining character, no
I did not find this situation
at all amusing
Years later when we visited Boston
the boys got up early and tracked down
the Cheers bar
While I stayed laid in bed listening
to jazz on the radio actually
Wishing I knew how to
resolve my simplistic behaviour
and overcome
my chessboard movement
limitations
