Early evening sun
drapes lazy
over the trees,
splashes down
between the houses,
like a careless painter’s mistake.
I wander
listlessly,
wondering
how we got to now
without the stains
of our pasts all over?
Take a breath
just after you’ve passed.
Decade away,
but the air this time of day
still takes me back to Spain.
Cigarettes and summertime.
Madrid in full bloom.
That’s where I fell in love with you
for the hundredth time.
Been a few thousand more
by any count of mine.
I try,
and I know you do, too.
The years have not been kind,
especially the last few,
but we survive.
Persevere?
Hell, that’s what got us here.
I see the shadows
of pain that haunts your eyes
and I
have never felt more helpless.
Take a few steps
in that golden light
before the night comes on.
It’s gonna get real dark
before the dawn,
but I’ve got you Babe
and you’ve got me,
just like we’ve always been.
Two people
trying to figure out
ourselves
and love each other.
Because we both know
the smell of Spain
in summer.
Come back in.
Sky is getting grey
and the golden light
is folding.
Time to return
and get ready to pack up
all our possessions,
and prepare
for our next adventure.
HG – 2022
Cigarettes and Summer
