If You Lived Near By

If you lived near by

I would become thin

and crawl through your cat door

and sneak up

as you sat in your chair

reading your book

I would light a candle

and sit next to you

to keep you company

We would play cards

or chess

even though I don't know how to play

If you lived near by

I would call you from a phone booth

on a rainy night

and make you come to your window

I would smile and wave

and you would come down

and we would dance

in the warm rain

and get soaking wet

If you lived near by

I would bring you zucchini

from my garden

and a pumpkin

when they were in season

I would teach you

how to make soup

and how adding in

a little bit of this and a touch of that

can make all the difference

If you lived near by

I would hand deliver

postcards from exotic places

that I found at garage sales

I would write little notes

on them

pretending to be having a

fabulous time

but also sending you love

and kisses

and telling you how much I missed you

Hello

Hello
by Julie Gengo

hello from the back

of the hollow wall

the sound of last year's 

concert in the park

a tiny murmur from yesterday

remains

girl peers out

from behind a book

and listens

counting the meter

as the words 

catch up to the 

day that changed everything