Her locks are golden when she passes me in the beach.
“Have I seen you around, or is this a bit of a reach?”
She smiles without joy and offers me her dying trust.
I swore I’d find her again. She seemed a bit fussed.
Her standards were loose, I’ve noticed her bad habits.
If I make sure I fit in enough, we both can wreak havoc.
Her boyfriend’s too soft for her taste and I make a joke –
She laughs in everlasting fear of becoming a trope.
The house she lives in has high windows and pale doors.
They hid the ladder one night, they even locked the drawers.
I tried to be cautious, hoping she understood the pressure
Of getting to know a person and leaving an impression.
Her guard’s coming down, I can almost look through her soul.
A few more light touches and I swear, I can make this girl whole.
Her locks smell of ocean when she confides in me one evening.
“Do you mind seeing me around, even if you’re not the one
That I’ve been seeking?”
***
Her guilty gaze angers me, her kisses are stone cold sober.
I don’t recall what happened next, can’t remember what I told her
But she rushed away, dread in her gate. I didn’t follow.
The silence snapped me as the wavering ocean wallowed.
I had nothing to do with her tragic end, she made me alive.
Swear to God, I’m not the jealous type, I never took her out for that drive.
Wish I could help with more detail but I’m afraid I must leave.
The night is calling my name. Don’t you judge the way I grieve.
-JW
The Daily Writing of Jackie Wright 