i never said goodbye, did i?
i never spoke the word
with all its weight attached
only acting silent pantomimes
from a fail-safe distance
we’ve both been through the fire
and back on separate paths
seen only by ourselves …
who we are is not what we were
and only God knows who
will become of us separately
you were spring burned up
by summer as i wintered
on my own, alone but not alone
so long ago, so far away
at home — and now winter
thaws to spring again …
but not the spring of then.