Inside the walls of the Forbidden City
Having tea
The fragrance of the Hanging Gardens of Babylon
Under the cypress trees
I know that all of this will never be.
That old man in Georgia
Our last night in Alexandria
The oranges in Seville
The lost soul of the Barrier Reef
There was that, wasn’t there?
And time. Always time.
Outside in the October rain
That final maple leaf falling
Joining the others among the detritus
Waiting for your plane to leave.
If you ever make your way back
I will forgive the promises you’ve made
I won’t forget your moments of generosity
Nor your frequent cruelty
The nights we spent driving aimlessly.
I think you tried.
I’ll say you did.
I’ll tell them everything I should
But we both know you were mostly no good.
So I’ll wish you well
Watch for your debut
While they all drink and smile with you,
And you’ll always be the person I only knew.