I'm not a poet

But there's this group I'm in on MySpace that's found a sudden obsession with poetry, and everyone's expected to contribute. 

Thing is, I've written like two poems in my life. And two songs. Those latter two, I was like six.  I performed them to my stepdad's piano accompaniment. I've got them on CD now. 

But those poems. Those were done rather more recently, since my divorce. One was, predictably, about my ex-wife, what I wish I could have said to her but couldn't, never did.  It was called Words Unsaid. Funny thing: No one else ever read that one. And now I haven't any copies. 

The other, which is not about my ex-wife, I do have, and I have to admit, I actually considered posting it, because it's all I have and everyone else was doing it, right? I even polished it up a little. But I said I wouldn't post it there, so I won't. 

Thing is about poetry, it's a lot of things but near the top of the list is cathartic. I wrote Time Was in an effort to move on. That means it's not exactly cheerful.  And really, it's never been my thing to be publicly down. I can handle being angry in public, but lower than that... it's too easy to start whining, right. And no one likes a whiner, myself especially.

But it's two years or so later, and I guess I've moved on as much as I'm likely to.  I'm not all vulnerable anymore.  

Time was you'd call me

Time was we'd talk

Time was we held each other

in the dark

Time was I made you laugh

when everything was all right

Time was we held hands

in the moonlight

Time was you turned to me 

when things were going rough

that was back when you felt

my advice was enough

Time was you'd text me

about every little thing

and I was always expecting

that my phone would ring

Time was I'd come home

to messages from you

In those days it seemed our talk

was never really through

You woke up something in me

that I thought had gone

You made me believe I could love

again, I didn't have to be alone

I'd been shut off, you turned me on

It was you who reached to me

And in that reach I dared see hope

I suddenly believed

Now those times are over

You've got another love

Amidst the ashes of memories

I see that I was wrong

I wish that time was to you

what it was to me

I know now that I misconstrued

But I didn't want to see

Time was 

But not anymore

And the world has grown

a little darker