she was at the bar with a friend
when he bowled up to say hello
larger than life after all these years
full of bounce
told all that had happened to him
marriages divorces children work play
all in the space of a breath
how wonderful it was to see her
she looked good
have to run
see you again soon maybe
all in the space of a breath that left her without air
so many years
he had left the town young
heard of every blue moon or so
glimpsed in the street sometimes on a family visit
as children they had played
gone to school
kissed on a new year\'s eve once
might have grown close but probably wouldn\'t have
and then he was gone
into memory
and the wide blue yonder
she had stayed local
worked local
married local
divorced local
under the local eye
a life lived small and contained
but enough
mostly
it\'s only on days like these
up early to open the shop
to sort papers and stock before the first customers
days like these
with his pleasure at seeing her and his humor
his stories
still bouncing inside her head
she wonders
if it really is enough
if it ever was
~