Originally written July 2004
Peace! At last! I stole away from the crowd,
Brushed the remaining drops of water off,
And let myself believe they all were gone.
I glanced up at the sky – the clouds had cleared,
At least, for now. The air smelled clean and fresh,
Like rain, the ocean, a tropical breeze,
Like peace, serenity and coconuts.
I smiled, content in my seclusion.
I lowered my eyes from the endless skies;
Looking forward, I walked to the ocean.
I sat a few feet from the crashing waves,
Perched upon a rain-drenched rock, still slippery
From the recent shower. I closed my eyes
And deeply breathed in the calm, cool, crisp air.
I sighed and basked in my tranquility,
Listening to the sound of the thundering waves.
I awoke from my dream, perched on my rock
And I looked out o’er the land and the sea,
Focusing my eyes on the lowering sun,
Slowly fading into oblivion.
I delighted in the Painter’s canvas:
My one true “palate passion,” as Keats said,
Though mine is of color and his of taste.
Yet a sunset has its own flavor too,
One more pleasing than all things edible.
I savored its unique sweetness, beauty
And perfection. I sighed – and thought of you.
Across the ocean, we two are still linked –
Through the sun, the sea, the clouds and the sky.
And yet, this sunset was mine own, not ours.
I looked at the setting sun and shuddered,
And suddenly, peace became loneliness.
The sky grew dark as the sun descended;
The air grew cold, and I shivered, alone.
I watched in grief as the remaining gold
Faded quietly into nothingness.
My eyes welled with tears; I lowered my head
And silently sobbed into the darkness.
I cried for a while, then took a deep breath,
Blinked, and raised my eyes once more to the sky.
The infinite which once held so much joy
For me now held sorrow, darkness and pain,
The dazzling color now covered with doubt.
But then the clouds split; the moon showed her face:
Pure white innocence, shining through black skies.
At once, her radiance held my tears at bay.
She was only a crater-filled crescent,
Not nearly as perfect as the sunset,
And yet she provided me true comfort –
A perfection in her imperfection –
What she was missing was what I missed too:
My other half.
She and I were both one,
Both missing you. I cried tears of relief.
Her bright presence was our true connection –
A symbol of change, though constantly there.
We see the same moon; she binds us as one.
She watches over you in my absence,
Observes you with my eyes. Though far away,
We’re not far apart.
Look at the moon and
Think of me,
For I’ll be thinking of you.