Tether

- The Seasons Of Grief: Chapter I - Poem XI -

Red was on the crest of the leaves,

Where I used to sit at Irving Park,

Dreaming of someone who’d light my snuffed spark

Blue was in the waves at noon,

When you were twenty and chasing stars,

Playing gigs at Dallas bars

Time, restless time,

Brought me no compass, caught me when I was on the line,

Was that your presence coming near?

Isn’t it just so wild to believe,

All along there was a tether of the sea,

Coming home to me?

Sharp was the chill of the ocean spray,

On our first walk by the shore,

We found warmth in the songs we swore were ours

Kind was your laugh as we shared that stone,

Watching the dancing lights alone,

You said “The sea is livelier in the dark hours”

Time, magnificent time,

Crashing like waves, then receding too kind,

Was that a scent I’d smelt before?

And isn’t it just so crazy to believe,

All along there was some tether of the sea,

Coming back to me?

A current that swept me,

Out of all those deep abysses and into shallow waters,

It gave me peace of mind, a new space to call home on a rebuilt altar,

Each falter, a grain of sand dissolves in water,

One endless line of sea foam set me free

Bitter was the feeling of the ice,

That sealed my worn and broken heart,

To split the seas, you played the biblical part

Gold was the leaves on our third October trip,

When I showed you where I grew up,

You said “This would be a great place to start”

Time, calming time,

Taught me to anchor my worries sublime,

Was this a drive-in film cliché?

And isn’t it just so real to believe,

All along there was some tether of the sea,

That’s always been flowing to me?