We thought it was us,
As if the sculptor saw us
Coming, two grains of sand
On the vast beach of strangers.

The subject was obvious, though:
Barely imaginative, a true story
Repeated hundreds of times
In hundreds of stations, greeting
And parting indistinguishable.

How beautifully it was
Rendered made us feel that
What we were doing was
The same, even though I knew
It was anything but.

Perhaps that is why I feel
Culpable, even now that time
And distance have made
The picture clearer.

It is not that I should have
Known better: I did know better,
But I had my head turned
Firmly towards hers, foreheads
Meeting like those in the
Statue then frozen together
Like solid bronze.

Now, so many years after the thaw,
I can see it for what it is:
A charming picture in three
Dimensions, less artificial than
What once passed for love.

11/11/2025

Author's Note: Escapril 2024 prompt (belatedly): “A reminder”.

Posted on 06/12/2026
Copyright © 2026 Richard Vince