Due Date: December 7, 2014

She loved reverberation
layered vocals
the length of
decay
the sound
over sound over
voices like calling birds
in a dream
fog rolling in slow motion
toward her
wave over wave under
minimum initial sound
say it
soft soft soft
under over

She wanted to be
a photograph
to live that way
to walk away from the print
through the back
through the wall into
another realm
another dimension
and he would be there
wouldn’t he? waiting
(or she?)
to tell her
yes, yes, yes
you got it right this time
reduced to zero
over time the amplitude
of the reflections
is reduced all the way down
to zero.

over and over
down to the minute
the rate of decay
reflections that arrive
in less than 50 milliseconds
And, after that?
What happens if they’re longer?
An echo
And, then you hit the chord again
or sing the vocals again
and it all starts again and
you’re falling.

Living in the photograph
she was caught still
frozen at a good time
open face
eyes reflecting the sky
Will was going to come with her
they clinked beers over it
at the Club Charles one night
and walked through Charles Village in the dark
back when it was still dangerous
and the art scene was non-existent
and the jukebox was full of punk
freezing wind through her jean jacket
her hair blowing everywhere
his hand in hers
friends
the same forever

And now he lives in Easton
with his wife and two or three kids
gray hair to go with the eyes
paunch, pleated dress pants
replace the denim
Christmas decorations in the yard.

relief at her ponytail
relief at her belly filled
by someone else
relief at spinning in the box seats
at the Meyerhoff
relief that it’s over
relief

it only a stone
to step on
to get to now.

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