It’s Not a Sad Story

It’s Not a Sad Story

And in all of my longing
I stood there once

and gathered the sunlight to remember it
and gathered the chalked sidewalk
and gathered the windsocks
and gathered the stones fattening in mossy cocoons
and gathered the water and the one boat out in it

And the water recognized me from previous visits

And in the place where I stood
someone else stands now
maybe just a little to the left of where I stood
Or no one stands nearby at all