A Letter to an Old Friend...

I suppose it's a strange time to write you a letter,
But as I've little better to do,
I suppose I'll let the music work through my pen.

It's often in times like these
That my mind begins to freewheel,
And tries to reconcile the present with the past.

Memories come back in bits and pieces,
As they tend to do,
Of the two of us.

Taking a walk through an unfamiliar neighborhood,
Walking your dog,
And talking about whatever we damn well feel like.

You quietly (sometimes, not-so-quietly) rejoicing,
Because of a short amount of time
Away from home.

Me rejoicing, but always quietly,
About spending time with you.
And, of course, the dog.

I knew something dramatic would happen,
But I knew it would probably be in my own head.
And so the story goes round again.

Somehow, I managed to consider our relationship
A lifestopper, and then a heartbreaker.
Or was that you?

I managed to intellectualize it at first,
'Would it really be so bad?'
And, for a time, it wasn't.

But as suddenly as it had started,
That teenage summer ended,
As they tend to do.

And we were both left drifting.
For a time, at least;
Or so it appears.

We both look to be back on our feet now.
You, exploring a foreign country,
And building a life for yourself.

I, on the other hand, am investigating the possibilities
Of a similar change of venue,
But without a change in language.

Maybe that was the problem all along:
We always thought we understood each other,
But we weren't speaking the same language.

There is a part of me that looks at you,
And the life you live,
And wants to shake its head.

But what right do I have,
What throne do I sit in,
To let me criticize a person living happily?

I do not, and can not, and thus,
Simply let you live.
And so the story goes round again.

If our paths ever cross again,
So be it, and I'll be happy to see you.
If not, then so be it as well.

Each can only live as best they can, I've heard.
I'm still working on doing so,
And I only hope you can do the same.

Until some possible future,
I remain, as always,
Most sincerely yours.