I’ve always had inky dark fingertips
Darkness smathered onto white tips
Flip, turn, shuffle and ruffle
Midsection falls to the floor
Days string together anymore, anonymously
One drastic exposure to the next
none adding up to anything worth sharing
Staring calmly into your face
I realize you haven’t been here in years
That image that what I held onto for so long was nothing more than a vision – a mirage
And in its absence I haven’t been able to make any sense of how I’m living
Cool days and cooler nights
Water flows over roadways in barley fields where I’ve never lived
I can’t stop thinking about where I’ve lived
Who was I with and who you were
Where was the reward?
What was the reason for you
I knew that you and
I could, but we didn’t,
Just go on and on
Left to linger
Fate intervened
Particularly attempting to distinguish
Indifference towards you and the plight you lived in
Goodnight, goodbye
Yet I sleep restless awaiting
deadlines, Sunday runs, ink stains and plastic strips
Lining the sidewalks of large cities and filling the stands in small towns
No barkers
No “extra”
No you
I’m left
Left to linger
Salivation gleek onto warm print
Leery heroes emerge from Sunday script
Competing with comic stars for my attention
Gently sipping lattes and starring at beautiful women
Fingering another headline
Adam F.C. Fletcher 