Already So Good.........................................Lady Blaze

they know each other too well
to think too hard and long about a deeper thing
love was never a word that passed their lips
need was never a thought that crossed a mind
wanting to hold was not an open option
not a choice to checkmark off
she knew the other too well
to imagine him thinking of such a thing
that could possibly be written off as trivial, or
given a cool, perhaps damaging, dismissal
he knew her well, knew she hated thinking
about commitment and hurting because your other
half was in pain
he knew the other too well
to bother bringing up a subject so weighty
when it could lead to less enjoyable places, or
put a damper on something already so good
thoughts stay thoughts, he thought
but words are like water from an unknown source
with the potential to poison



that was before the night she forgot her key lanyard
in the cupholder at the movies with some other friends
before he offered to wait outside the door
and then her car wouldn't start
old '85 honda accord
and then he remembered how far away she lived, and
she was cold because it was getting dark, so he
lent her his carhartt and laughed because she protested
and told her to hop in
before she teased him about how there was a certain spot
on his head where the hair just wouldn't stay down
look, there, it's sticking up again
and he insisted they listen to radiohead, even though he knew
she still hadn't found a song she liked by them
you'll see, you'll wake up one morning and
it'll come to you - idioteque's the awesomest song ever written
before she snooped in his glove compartment and saw
that old picture of them when they were eight and ten respectively
taped to the inside
and then there was that awkward what would have been silence
but for the audible labor of the motor, and the sleet
slapping the windshield going fifty five
that was before she remembered, around a sudden lump in her throat
how they had promised something on the day
that photograph was taken, but she could not remember it
before she softly clicked it closed wondering
if he had noticed anything amiss, and absently doodled in the fog her breath
created on the window
loopy nonsense looking things
and then he asked her, clearing his throat, avoiding her startled
glance
is it exit five or six? and she could not remember
even though she knew he knew which one
but he didn't, because he was suddenly very interested in
a tense white hand rhythmically rubbing thumb and index together
and she had to remind him twice to watch the road
before the semi roared past and they both thought they were going to die
and he couldn't see anything for a couple slop obscured seconds
and tires screamed and she
thanked god there was no one behind them
and then they both laughed, because it seemed kind of absurd
so when he drove up to her house and stopped
killed the engine while wondering why he felt drained
and she felt confused about something she couldn't name
that was before he lurched out of the driver's side into the cold drizzle
without his carhartt, loped over to her door, and hesitated once
before opening it

Show all stories by   Author:  56840 ( Click here )