October

One day and one night The gold of sunrise measured in imperceptible arbitrary divisions of twelve and two Eight and three or Six and four Twenty and four hours defining the red green blistering flicker and its next. Sunset to Sunset So neatly bookended Such a tidy thing a day. The word so short. Simple Needing no explanation. Three letters state clearly in their own code and way A death A birth A day never remembered A moment never forgotten A full day or a wasted day, Or a black day A good day Any day Remembered in fits And flashes And starts A moment becomes an hour An hour becomes marked by the day And the day remarked by the memory Years, decades, and lifetimes on the eternal day still shines with you at the center

The ink never returns to the pen. The perfect white emptiness stains black or blue or red but never white again What if I accidentally cross an L or I dot a G Or I break her heart. The ink never returns to the pen. The clean white page stains black and blue and red but never white again What if I write a poem instead and it's bad but she laughs anyway The ink never returns to the pen. The perfect white emptiness stains black or blue or red but never white again What if she never hears the story of a boy who can't stop smiling

She waits for me to get better. She waits for far too long. She waits for life to get better and not be so alone He stands and looks at the sunrise He stands and looks back home He stands and turns from the sunrise his work is not yet done An ocean between them but one cold wind blows When one heart shivers the other seems to know. She keeps the orchard and hearthstone The fire bright and warm When that ragged sailor returns there I'll finally be at home.