If I could choose a day
to relive in your company
out of forty years
give or take
when and where would I
set the dials of the time machine
to take us
To the first night we met
in magical massage engaged
diving deep
despite the presence
of strangers
in a one time embassy
To our time in Ireland
walking down to the Atlantic
ten minutes from our cottage door
where fossil “serpents”
writhed across the rocks
and we just stood and breathed it in…
I treasure the winter nights
I slipped sleepless out the front door
wrapped warm
sitting head back
gazing at the myriad stars
threaded through
with man-made satellites
steadily traversing from
the sun-catching to the
dark side of the sky
your warm body waiting
gently protesting my cold one
slipping back in beside you
The first Christmas in this
then new house – scarcely moved in
turning a building project into a home
I think I would settle
and I believe you would be happy too
for the covid deserted coffee bar
by a beach in Crete
playing hookey from the lockdown
though no police ever stopped us…
The ceiling woven from palm-fronds
dappling the light on your face
while the ocean lapped
just yards away on that hot, bright
Cretan winter’s day
Even in winter this café
would normally be thronged
for Sunday lunch serving
fryer-fresh chunky chips
and Greek sausages
with children running round
and people swimming out
over the sandy bottomed bay
the beach frosted with
stones and shells
where the waves kissed the land
But we had the beach and café
To ourselves – brought our own coffee
or was it tea – I don’t remember
but I remember sneaking looks at you
over the top of my book
as we read in companionable silence
as only long-lived love
makes truly possible
I do not need to go there again
it wouldn’t be the same
even if there were chips
because I hold the treasure of that day
safe in my heart
and sometimes I take you there anyway
© Andrew Wilson, 2023
Lisa (Posted by msjadeli in Poetics) is our host tonight over at dVerse Poets Pub where she invites us to use a time machine to fulfil something on our fantasy time travel bucket list…
