Whisper Wood by Richard VinceIn another life, she was a dancer,
And I was the keeper of the
Worst kept secret in the world.
Now all I keep is the sound
Of her voice in my ear:
Not even words, just the essence
Of what she said and didn’t say,
Of what I knew and didn’t know,
Of who she was or was not.
Her face is not the same
But is definitely hers;
Such is the passing of years
From youth to the foothills
Of middle age.
Her smile has changed too,
From rare and hesitant to
Wide and heartfelt; I hope
It betrays the joy she always
Deserved but could never quite reach.
Perhaps that is enough
For me. Perhaps I can finally
Let go of the words she wrote,
The places she loved, accept
That our lives will only
Curve away from one another,
And that her world is one
I will never visit.
There will always be memories
Though: grains of glass like
A fine dust that will never
Wash out but every so often
Catches the light and reminds me
That I was not dreaming.
12/05/2022 Posted on 03/13/2023 Copyright © 2025 Richard Vince
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