In pursuit of the perfect moment,
I squandered too many others
To count; how very like me.

My travels took me no closer than
A sign on some freeway somewhere:
The fair city whose name I couldn’t
Pronounce was destined to remain
A mystery; a road not taken,
In spite of evidence to the contrary.

Her voice was the first I heard say it,
But her invitation to enter only
Sent me wandering away, pushed me
Inadvertently into my imagination
Where best laid plans actually
Became reality.

*
Had the moment been perfect,
The weight of expectation would have
Crushed me underfoot; perhaps our
Friendship would now be dust too,
Scattered by west coast winds.

As it was, it provided the perfect
Cover: my desire was hidden from
The floodwaters of destiny that
Would surely have drowned us if
Jilting and jetlag had not intervened.

The only thing sadder than love
Unrequited is love unspoken:
Love that never gets to know
Whether it could have had a home,
Love that languishes in a lonely heart
Until all moments have passed.

02/18/2019

Posted on 03/29/2019
Copyright © 2024 Richard Vince