Passing Through

Trepidation Meandering through parallel dreams Sunlight reflecting off sheer cliff Stonewalled direction of ever river Flowing onward through time. Thumbnail scrapes old paint Where generations of varsol coffee cups Loosen the hold easily Bubble and peel Ripped vinyl booth bench Duct taped In true Canadian style. Grey. And blue. You watched me Raptor eyes caught every nuance That rippled across But I was never afraid to meet those eyes Got some of my own Flown to the sun and back You did not lack character Granite cliff I’ll grant you that Braids black enough still Grey came late to you Like wisdom Same denim vest I remembered Doesn’t button over fry bread belly anymore But the smirk is the same I dare you That mouth said in silence. And I wondered if it remembered the taste of me All those years ago When I took that dare. Just passing through Like I always am I get up to leave And am surprised To see the disappointment on your face And the answering echo in my own heart. “You got a wife and kids now” I reminded you. “I did back then too, just never told you. I’m being honest now.” Highway winds through rock cut Blasted out of proportion So the loggers Could make it home safe. 4 lanes now in some places, Making way for the tourists, Like me