Bend

bend
poem by Mick Tomlinson


we will recognize that steep mountain pass
as a barrier to our love, and we'll tremble,
and the distance between us will resemble
oceans of bravery conquered only by ships
and the heavens above

and love will listen from far away
as the roots of summer dig into the earth
and the stars form bouquets in the sky,
and your beautiful silence will sing out across
the desert of middle Oregon

where we will meet often, naked beneath
the sunlight. shadows will fall away,
childhood will return as we leap into a leaf-piled
romance, covered with laughter and love,
consumed by heartfelt celebration.