ALONE, TOGETHER
We rode along beside us,
going nowhere once again.
It was dark just like before,
and the empty place between us,
like the empty space inside,
still filled to overflowing
with sad tears we both had cried
alone, together.
And we moved full empty faces as before.
gazing sideways at each other
hiding loving empty eyes,
breathing heavy empty sighs,
sharing time and place and motion,
searching how to hide
the feelings that had died,
feeling nothingness inside.
Again,
alone, together.
Alone.
Together.
To the home we almost loved in,
‘thru the doorway, nothing spoken,
sharing separate rooms unmentioned.
We could not fill that space:
Emptiness is nothing, in every empty place.
We could not hide the fullness
of our empty love inside,
of the vacant gaping wholeness
of the love each was denied
alone, together.
Empty shadows brushed the walls,
vague reflections of the past,
twisting faces grinned tomorrow –
lovely echoes died at last.
And our tears still flowed together as we ran
alone, together,
standing fast.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Rhey W. Hedges, July 8, 1978
