You Were There

You
were there.

You
were in the flute
held to a little boy's
lips - a boy wanting
to be a man -

You
were there
and he spat
your love
to the ground.

You
were there
in a tall, thin,
syrupy cylinder
held by an old man
sharing
warmth with a child.

You
were there
encased in frozen
emerald, encased
in steel and a seven
year old tasted your
love secretly.

You
were there
hiding in the storage
closet, under
smoke-stained sinks,
absolution
doled out.

You
were there
hiding in the walls,
the chill of freezers,
the insanity of parties,
and the quiet
of a child hiding
in the solitude
of adulthood.

You
were there.

You
were there
when others could,
would, not be.

You
were there - ironically
I, not you, abandoned
myself.

You
were there -
and now, when
I want you -

You
are not
there.

_(05-26-2010)