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Wednesday, April 24, 2013

Simple (Gracia, 1983)


1983 was

a simpler time,
and our love
was simple.


There were
no needless
complications.

No sex
(we were both
too scared),
we knew
we couldn’t
handle that.

Sitting with her
in the shade
at Hillcrest Park
on that May afternoon
was enough,
leaning on each other,
gazing at
an ever-receding
horizon.

Her laughter,
her chestnut brown hair
in the breeze,
her full, deep gaze
were all I needed.

It went by
so quickly.

Just as leaves
don’t fight
to stay
on their branches,
we didn’t fight
our inevitable
parting.

I think about her
every Spring,
thankful
that even our goodbye
was simple.

I’m sure
she wouldn’t
recognize me
today.

She knew me
before all the drama,
all the unnecessary
damage,
before all the
complications.

She loved me
when my heart was
simple.

10 comments:

  1. smiles...life an love was simple, once upon a time...why do we make it more complex than we need to...well, relationships seem to get less than simple once the innocence wears off...but i feel you man...

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    1. Oh you remind me of that great Tony Bennett song "Once Upon a Time." Give it a listen if you can, you'll like it.

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  2. Okay, this poem made me cry a little bit. I loves the stanza about the leaves. Sweet!

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    Replies
    1. Thank you - I put her name in the tags, maybe someday she'll find it.

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  3. Love love LOVE this one. It really captures that young love, before things get complicated with...life. It's one of those poems that I'm sure sounds "familiar" to many different people.

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    Replies
    1. Thanks Caren. Yes, I'm realizing that this was 30 years ago- where did my youth go?

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  4. Anonymous6:25 PM

    Really beautiful! Thank you for making my day better, by reading it! :) -deb

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  5. sweet and lovely. I watched two young kids (okay teenagers) today chase one another than lean up against a car with a kiss. it seems such a sweet carefree moment...still a simple time, free of complications.

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