Day #4 A beginning and an ending poem
What did I know,
in my freshman year,
about subliminal messages
from members of the opposite sex?
She was older and more worldly,
and had just returned from a semester
abroad. Her stories left me in awe.
I read her my poetry.
It was all I had.
She asked me to submit 3 pieces
to the college newspaper,
but she didn’t tell me
she was the poetry page editor.
I should have known that,
but again, what did I know?
Her encouragement was enough.
What was I to do next?
I didn’t have a clue.
We met for coffee at the Student Union.
One day she invited me to her apartment
for soup – I accepted.
It’s not what you think.
We had long conversations
about exotic places she had travelled to,
places I hoped one day to see for myself.
She was very kind to me
and I needed her kindness.
We dated, if you can call it that,
for the rest of the semester.
Then we went our separate ways –
she graduated and went away to grad school,
and me, unmoored, I drifted out to sea.