Eternal pledges fall,

as fast asleep sets in.

Sinking slows into the deep;

what a perishable, promising heap.

A quick sand mans dream,

coursing through gravity,

pulling at the black hole.

Our dreamy night sky has been taken in.

Backs are turned as the stars counter out.

Beside you,

in your arms,

Our reverie is over.

Simply away.

Holding the unkept,

and kept hoping it would stay.

Simply, away.

Enough taste for a lifetime;

everything,

a flavorful palate,

to squared.

What was new is now pale blue~

faded fools.

Simply....

time to walk

away.

~Jessi (image and poem)

#freeverse

Asparagus is slimier than okra if boiled for too long. The crisp, stout structure slips beneath the knife, as Bea attempts to slice into bite size pieces. The loud noise of metal against the glass plate startles the couple a table over.

“Oh, excuse me,” Bea quickly apologizes. Sending a slightly embarrassed smile to the eyes gazing in her direction. Her date reaches across the table to caress her hand resting next to her plate. “Have you heard a word I’ve been saying to you?” Bea grinned and withdrew her hand, nodding but unable to recall anything. Rick cleared his throat, “So what you do think?”

“What do I think about what?”

“The proposal.”

“The movie?”

“Wow, Bea.”

“Rick, what are you talking about?”

“You looked directly at me and said you understood earlier… and when you stared at your plate, you prodded me to go on. And now you don’t remember?” Rick carries a hint of frustration in his voice as he lifts his napkin to wipe his mouth, looking around to see if anyone is eavesdropping.

“I spaced. I’m sorry. I just have a lot on my mind.” Bea sighs, wishing she could disappear.

“Well I wish you were here with me.” Rick sat back into his chair, staring at how lovely Be a looked with her curly hair stacked high on her head with flower combs. Even then she seems to gaze through him as she looks in his direction.

“Bea, what is it?”

“Asparagus. It’s good when it’s done right. But once you ruin it, there’s no saving it, you know, it’s just awful at that point.” Bea could feel her eyes welling with tears as she continues, “There’s really no point to salvage the asparagus once it’s been overcooked. The only thing to do with it is toss it away.”

Rick interrupts, “If you don’t like the asparagus, we can have it swapped or taken away, no need to cry about it, hon…”

“I’m not crying, Rick!” Bea blurts out as a tear falls down her face and she swipes at it. Lowering her voice, she leans forward, “I’m not crying about the damn asparagus, Rick. And I’m sorry because you’re a nice guy and you don’t deserve this level of crazy on just the third date, but I have to be honest with myself. This…” Bea motions between the two of them, “this will not ever work. It’s boiled. Overdone. Flimsy. Weak.”

“Excuse me?” Rick begins to feel heat rise in his face, watching all the projected hopes and plans with this beautiful woman start to crumble in his mind. “Bea… it’s so soon. How can you know?”

“I’ve always known. I’ve been running from the truth.” Bea turned her eyes back down to the mush on her plate, blurring from her welling emotions.

“Oh yeah, and what exactly is that?” Rick braces himself, thinking of possible responses.

“Every man will overcook to mush in the hot waters of comparison to the one I truly love.”

“Oh so, this other guy, he’s not a veggie huh?” Rick began to chuckle at the metaphor before pausing and recollecting Bea’s words: “flimsy” and “weak.”

As if she could read his mind, she begins to laugh. “No, no. He’s definitely not a veggie. He is a boiling torrent… a burning flame.”

“Yeah, yeah, okay, Bea. If he’s all that, why aren’t you with him? Or is it that he doesn’t want you? Ha! The irony…”

“No, I’m sure he wants me. I’ve just been so caught up in how things would work with our differences and the perpetual distance between us… we’ve been fond of each other for years, but never together long enough to really see…” Bea trails off, musing.

Rick gives his card to the waiter as he passed, and looked at Bea. Be a caught him watching her and sat up straight. She shrugs and smiles. “Have I ruined our date?”

“Nah. No worries. I look forward to the day I can be that to someone. If I were you, I’d figure it out with him. Life is too short to search for someone you love in other people. You’ll only be disappointed.”

Bea nodded. She takes a sip of wine. “Rick, thank you for dinner and the chat. I hope you find her soon.”

“Thank you, Bea. My pride is hurt, but I’ll recover. Happy Valentine’s Day.” Rick raises his glass to meet hers. Bea prays silently in her toast for courage to ride the steamy stream.