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A poem about the might-have-beens

By Alison McBainPublished about a year ago • 1 min read
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Photo by Ricardo Moura on Unsplash

Love shouldn't be a dirty word

but it is.

With you, it is.

I am reminded of junior year

when the Zack of my crush

joked about the curly-haired nerd

sitting in front of me, friendless

and I laughed out of shame.

It is easy to laugh

when the taunt is aimed elsewhere

easy to love

when the heart stays hidden

easy to forget

when you say my name.

The price tag for banter:

a cost measured in the thousand miles

that separate us across closed borders.

When you spoke to her

you would look at me

and I would look back.

But now, I won't say anything

and neither will you.

Years and decades and millennia

have passed.

That time has passed.

Our time has passed.

heartbreak

About the Creator

Alison McBain

Alison McBain writes fiction & poetry, edits & reviews books, and pens a webcomic called “Toddler Times.” In her free time, she drinks gallons of coffee & pretends to be a pool shark at her local pub. More: http://www.alisonmcbain.com/

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    Written by Alison McBain