The Distance To and From

A poem in two days about my weekend. Other poetry can be found off-site at Anonymous Trout’s Fish Wrap.

Distance: Part I

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I found myself far from my everyday, looking past the dark silhouettes of trees

To the darker expanse of the heavens brought to light by the penetrating

and enlightening darkness.

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This is how night was meant to be

The night that brought us our folklore. Our gods.

And Keplar.

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The depth of the darkness transfixed me

Until I stared at the heavens through the gap and tried to feel

My planet move.

.

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Alas, the magnificently modest fire extinguished

all but the brightest stars and shrunk my Universe

to human scale.

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I cracked open another cold one and huddled deeper into my hoodie

To contemplate the chemistry of combustion. Brewing.

Everything.

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The fire breathed and pulsed very relaxed. Unhurried.

I stared deeper and deeper into the glowing coals

And ever deeper into myself.

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Distance: Part II

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The tiny dirt path wound over the invisible contours

Like a hologram that is only seen plainly from

Certain perspectives.

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The green and golden ferns tenderly covered the hills like moss

Giving shelter to chipmunks small, and for the trees so tall

Holding ground.

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Through this shady cathedral we cruised with fleet feet

Stride after easy stride toward no particular end but where

We began.

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Distance behind us grew greater as distance afore us diminished

And the physical beauty gave way to body aches and thoughts that turned

Inward.

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Now the distance has vanished like a flash of a falling meteor

My everyday has returned and left only aches to mark the distance

to me.