You took my hand,
You led me to the bridge,
You showed me river, water, funny clouds,
The midnight sky burning with five thousand candles,
Lady Moon’s crooked smile
And far away across the water,
The glowing lights:
Red, blue, yellow, and green…
A city full of possibilities.
“If there is something you must tell me, tell me now,” you said,
rolling your hair around your finger.
I looked at you, you looked at me
You smiled, I smiled,
And then I said
First, there’s the you of flesh and blood
And then there’s the you in my memory
And then there are other yous:
The you in my imagination, better than the actual you
The you in my thoughts, frequent and insisting
The you in my fantasies, naked and wild
The you I think I know
The you I don’t know at all
The you that is kind
The you that is mean
The you that you show me
When you are with me
The you that lingers after you leave
The you that inhabits me
The you that is all mine
The you I don’t have to share with the world
The you I cannot lose
The you that for me is more you
Than you
The you that is I.
Happy the man*, whose wish and care
A house or an apartment bound,
Content to breathe his native air,
In his own town.
Whose routine job, whose local stores
Supply his food and his attire,
Whose books in summer yield him shade,
In winter fire.
Blest, who can unconcerned’dly find
Hours, days, and years slide soft away
In health of body, balanced bank account, and peace of mind;
Quiet by day,
Sound sleep by night; study and ease; leisure walks,
Together mix’d: sweet recreation.
And moderation, which most does please
With meditation.
Thus let me live, Facebookless, offline, unknown,
Thus unlamented let me die,
Steal from the world, and not a grave
Tell who I was or where I lie.
***
boy with a hat 