But There Is Love

He of crossed fingers
Deliberately fidgeting about
She of focus upon a single page
They of variously bowed heads
Remind me of an argument
I once witnessed
Between aunt and uncle
Young and frustrated;
This is the result
Of never talking about it
Of waiting too long
After the shades of puberty
Of culture
Descend
But one wants
Needs
Feels
They must have it
Because the alternative
Is me
Staring
Longing
Wishing
Needing
Wanting
With
Selfish loathing
Anger
Frustration
Because the thin line
Between loneliness and alone
Grows thinner
Transparent
With each broken heart.

He of attempt
She of denial
A delicate dance
As he takes her hand
Limp with disapproval;
He with the beard
Momentarily split
As he vocalizes
She with the twitch
And hand removed
As fingers to her mouth
Denote held back tears
From eyes that scan
Or so I think
The single page
Maybe single word
As she thinks of response
To her public private lashing...
But there is love
As there is smile upon my face
Because if I can't have it
At least I can recognize it
And that gives me hope
For myself
Though easier witnessed
Than done.

He of continuation
She of the exodus
As handles to his paper bags break
And her plastic holds strong;
He of balance
As contents are split
Evened
To make easier of weight
For the inevitably long stroll
They will have together home
No doubt hand-in-hand
Mentally
If not physically
Because though I can make poetry
Of a shared twenty-five minutes
It takes longer to make resolution...
But there is love between them
Now
As there was before
With them
And I'm jealous as hell...
©2009clarencecbess