Night's Melody

an orchestra crickets softly chirp
in tune with the hum of passing traffic

which harmonizes with a faint rustle in the trees
complemented with the distant beat of reggaeton

air thick with humidity becomes cooler
tingling as it toutches skin still warm from a sunny day

mixing with the smell of exaust
night casts it's shadow slowing the world

I let it wash over me

in the moments when I am too tired
to comprehend a language not my own
or when some Quechua slips into the conversation

I stop trying to understand
just listen
letting waves of rolling r's and soft s's
crash around my head

words, phrases, thoughts
encirling me
their sweet lull in my ears

emotions tuging at my feet
swirling around my ankles

I saw you there

sitting on the cold concrete
I looked into your eyes
for a moment
I saw you there

your crushing hopelessness
years of suffering
a face aged too quickly
I saw you there

my heart crushed
feeling a tiny faction of your pain
when so many other look through you
I saw you there

I longed to take your hand
smooth the pain etched into your face
sheild you from some of the hurt
I saw you there

I wanted to let you be a child again
to help you
to take you with me
and I walked past

I saw you there
a child alone on the corner

I saw you there
and I did nothing


I did nothing

Which One?

two girls with green eyes

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

One is daring
she doesn't own a watch
she skips class

loves easily, indiscriminately
values her friends more than herself
she is passionate

she goes swimming in the dark
and is a hopeless flirt
wearing make-up to feel pretty

this girl lives without regret
her heart broken and more easily repaired

she throws her head back and laughs,
hair blowing in the wind,
living in the moment

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The Other, is more reserved
studious and organized

she is a bit of a skeptic
but still believes in happy endings

she is conteountios and kind
always there for her friends
yet never allowing them to help her
careful not to upset anyone

this girl smiles gently
her hair in a hapless bun
her face plain, natural
under her smile she is a shadow of pain

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Sometimes there is more of the first girl
others more of the second
but they are both changing

I fell too

that moment in sitting in the sand at Costa Verde
seems ages ago, was it really only yesterday?

your voice softly sharing your aspirations
somehow economics in spanish sound more interesting

the smile as I told you economics is boring
and you indignantly asked what I want to do

"Doctora de medicina emergencia"
your the twinkle in your eye as you said most things are boring compared to that much blood

the silence as we listened to the waves crash into the shore

did you say what you think you said
or did I just imagine that?



I fell for you too