The Last Occasion

I will cross the boundary this one time,
That I may have, in the days to come,
Remembrance of the sweetness in your voice.
That I may not be – too much – exercised,
With might-have-beens, had life been otherwise;
That I may be at peace with transformations.

For acknowledgement of what is between us,
Time and distance will be a memorial,
Understanding the counterweight to conscience,
Absolution our gift to each other.

And on the last occasion’s meeting,
When voices in the kitchen fade to silence,
Fearing to step through the door, facing
Reality in the mirrored hall,
Yet I will keep my promise, for your sake.
And for the sake of the sunlight,
And for the sake of wild roses,
And though the storm forbid endurance,
I will live with transformations.

1984-1985