27 Mar BE THERE
Not yet a teenager, awaiting his friends to arrive
She sat on a curb across the street nearby
He raced over to simply say “Hi”
She wasn’t quite ten, the bruises hurt him to see
Unsuccessfully she hid tears
and the cig at her feet
“Ya know, if ya need a place to stay”
“I’ll be OK” the last he’d hear from her today
“Well if you ever did need me, anything at all”
He smiled. Her too
“I’ll be there”
Driving home from an underpaid job he arrived
Across the street once again he saw as she cried
“What’s the matter? What’s going on?”
“My date is taking another to the prom”
Regurgitated tears now flowing like bile
“So, when will you be ready to go?” He grinned
She smiled annoyed, “You can’t!” She explained
“So, when do you want to leave?” He remained
“Let me get dressed and we’ll dance all night”
With a carefully placed thumb
To the right of her sight
Blunting her pain with one soft swipe
“I’ll be there”
Visiting his parents his family in tow, he saw her once more
He ran over as she looked down in the daytime
Cigarette burning freely this time
You really need to kick that habit” his eyes jokingly tickled
I’m losing a lot of bad habits” pointed to a trailer as she giggled
Stand strong, you’re beautiful and belong” he said extending a hand
“You spoil me, really you do. So kind but I don’t understand”
He lifts her easy hand in hand “When’s moving day”
She shakes her head “You can’t” glaring his wife’s way
“Just tell me the time”
“Go. Be with your family now but I’ll give you that time”
Shook her head smiling as he next spoke
“I’ll be there”
He woke to her call, a silenced home since Fall
“Are you free? My fence blew over” she asked him softly
He creaked off his mattress said “Heat up the coffee”
Once a strong back but now aching, he sighed
She knew his words before hearing him reply
“I’ll be there”
Hung up the phone and waited
Til finally he was able
to move fluid once more
She walked with purpose through moribund hospital tile
Reaching his floor she followed a known scent to his room
He saw her first shrunken chest portending his doom
She closed the distance placed a cool hand on his cheek
“All these years have passed; you’re my constant” she embraced
“You who refused to ignore me and never lied
You’re the steady friend that I couldn’t deny”
She reached out her hand. And said “This time
I’ll be there for you”
She held his sad features smiling
He smiled back and closed his eyes
Finished his dying
She sobbed to the sky
Told him all the reasons why
It didn’t matter he died
Wherever he had gone
She would be there
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