In the sweating, salty streets of balmy August,
You came back, knowing instinctively what it took me days to comprehend
And your smile spoke of lifetimes spent groping in the dark.
I was found,
Almost violently, almost against my will,
And the sudden height made my stomach turn,
Dizzying pedestal tottering dangerously.

Was I the girl on the boat,
Or the girl of your dreams?
Did you wait for me all these years,
Unknowingly finding your way back to me
Again and again,
Charming an innocent girl with your childish ways?

Amnesia never let go.

Until now, eyes open,
Blinded by the glare of too much snow,
The cold erasing every trace of balmy August
(Air conditioning humming lightly
"Can I help you, sir?")
Your smile
Your beautiful smile my only memory.

You left, lost, and my feet stayed rooted to the floor;
Realizing only too late that
Sometimes "hello" means "forever".

(Nov 17, 1997)