She offered me an olive branch
Small then, at first,
not much more than a seedling,
but without guile
A truce from skirmishes of the heart

We are arborists now
tending to the bounty
in an overfilled grove
planted these many years ago

If I held this office for twenty four hours--
the blink of an eye in the life of a nation--
I’d gather all of its limited powers
to summon the best who had once held this station,

to learn what they’ve learned all these years
in their graves, attending our history--
knowing full well it would bring forth their tears;
knowing it all would be shrouded in mystery.

She just showed up with it one day
the patient I cannot name here.

She had been one of those few patients
that I’d allowed myself to get too close to

guess that we had come to know each other
over the several years it took
to get two, t-w-o, double lung transplants
such a vivacious twenty-something
progeny of excellently smart parents
that somehow had given her the cystic fibrosis DNA
the stupid rare gene that kills some folk faster than others.

Come love
fear not the ailing one
lie on my shoulders
but just for once cuddle

waterfalls have now gone dry
‘tis been years passed shy
as the end approaches
why be wry within each other lie
simply just try

one more moment
may not come again
then why would you want to ever
remain
our love we did not finally contain

upon my cheeks
plant a kiss
one may be