There once was a time
a long, not forever ago
when a girl told me a
secret not shared with
just anyone but she and
I were a thing and she
was the first, of a sort
and what she told me
shouldn’t have made me
do anything but draw her
closer and yet it did just
the opposite and I don’t
even really know why it
did that but maybe that
is where the problem was
because the ‘it’ that got
the blame was a nothing
that I should have been
concerned about and as I
was young and stupid in
such things maybe just
maybe if I could go back
and see that the problem
was me then just maybe
what she took as a firm no
would’ve been something
with more substance than
nothing and I could have
and I should have just said
‘It’s okay” and maybe just
maybe since I can’t change
what was I can someday
find her and tell her I know
it shouldn’t have changed
anything but would it be
just me sharing my problem
at least giving her a chance
to return the cold shoulder
she should have been able
to cry on or have both our
shoulders now atrophied?

– Mark L. Lucker
© 2021
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