Catch and release

My grandfather took me fishing 

only a couple of times

I did not like the taste of fish 

but enjoyed the feel of the reel

the quick release game of coordination 

and the swish of nylon line

zipping over the water, its little lure plunking 

into the stillness of our quiet fishing spot

it was play to aim farther,  more precisely

never leaving the bait to dangle 

long enough to entice any stream-dwellers 

before pulling in the line as swiftly as I could

I got lucky once or twice but threw them back 

for being too small

I squealed not wanting to touch the poor fish

not wanting to see their gasping mouths

snagged by my hook

when I had only wanted to play

Predictable

One could say our relationship was like an airport

so many comings and goings 

long embraces after even longer absences 

and more than a few delays and bumpy landings 

looking forward to every hello

and regretting every goodbye 

until the last

Stateside

When does one celebrate an

anniversary when divided 

by an ocean, where day

for one is 

night for the other and

dreams no longer

fall onto the same pillows

x

Travelers

You were never
my North Star

but a fellow traveler
a cheerful companion

who held my hand
on a rocky path

who sang me songs
to pass the time

and kissed my cheeks
so sweetly

that I almost forgot
that your destination

was never the same
as my own