When Did The Nights

Turn so quiet and long

And when did they

Become cold and dark strangers

Sharing a space in time

Neither thought

Could ever happen

To them, the bestest of friends?

She remembers once he told her

When she was 21 and had all of the answers

Her view point would change

When she'd done

A little more living

A little more learning

A little more finding her way.

She thought he was crazy

She stands corrected, but then,

He always is right,

Isn't he -

Even when he's not.

And okay, she's not 21 anymore

Glad of it too, that was hard to do

He's burned his bridges

And buried the ashes in his top drawer at work

She lives her dreams vicariously

Cheering her friends as they forge their way onward

Watching her children grow

Tending the flowers that dare to blossom

Deep within her soul.

There was a time when stuff like this mattered

A time when words could cut like a knife

But you can only hear the same song sung

So many times before

You just don't listen anymore

And blades dull the more often you use them

Even the grinding stone wears out

'till

There's nothing but pieces of flint

Best used in a Zippo

(only the best soldiers use them, you know)

Except someone forgot to tell him

The other soldiers declared a truce

and

Laid their weapons down...

'Cause the nights just got too quiet and long

And she sings her songs to the wind and the stars

Maybe someday her view point will change

But if it does, it will be because she wants it to

'Cause she's still learning, still dreaming,

Still being herself.

And still saying,

If he doesn't like it, that's too damn bad.

Nope, some things don't change,

And sometimes,

People do.

©2000 C.M. Harris Davies