I had put it behind me
Like banana seat bikes, and Weebles
Like high waisted jeans, and permed hair
Like grunge bands, and punk on a 7-inch
Set those dreams aside in the bin of what’s not possible
Romance and passion is for the young, I demurred
Give me quiet conversations over coffee
I will settle for just the shoulder bumping, sidewalk shuffling
Twilight walks in cultivated gardens
I would have settled
There is no shame in end-of-years companionships
Growing quietly like herb gardens
Full of medicine and savory flavors
And you brought cayenne peppers
Exotic flowers
Flames and ginger beer
And my heart burst open
On fire
And this soul awakened to a deeper rhythm
A dance without end
Intertwined
The roses are burning
The roses are singing
The colors are full of sparks
The roses are my heart in your hands
And we will walk shoulder to shoulder
At twilight through garden paths
While the fires burn through time
Reducing to ashes the past
Reducing to ashes the future
And the passion of now
Ignites the earth aflame
With each syncopated step we take
In this dance
Together
