-- LOVE’S DUEL --

John Herlihy

I told her so long.

She kissed me goodbye.

I knew this was coming.

She never asked me why.

The answer lies in the beginning,

A duel day by day until the end.

I’ll miss you I thought she said.

I’m losing you, I said instead.

I love you, she thought I said.

Then neither of us said anything.

The gentle breeze said something.

A light rain on rooftops did sing.

Farewell has its own coat to wear.

We each took one last stare.

We both seemed resigned to fate.

The goodbye already seemed late.

She walked back to her shack.

The sad autumn light fell across my back.

After a dozen paces, we both turned,

Confused now that we had love spurned.

Love is a kind of duel in my book.

She shot me dead with one final look.

Reborn, I am here on the road again.

Never second-guessing what might have been.

- - - - - -

(c) John Herlihy 17 March 2019