Dangling

Dangling

By: James Dubeau

Dangling

Just out of reach

Of outstretched arms

My fingertips almost touch

Can almost grasp

Can almost make it mine

But no matter

How I contort my body

My arms cannot stretch any further

It would not be so painful

If I never had the taste

The sweet taste

Upon my lips

Knowing I was almost there

Almost had it

Almost achieved the desire

Once

Makes the craving

All the more

Infuriating

Crossing Paths

Crossing Paths

By: James Dubeau

A few flakes of snow

Drifted past

My fogged over glasses

And frozen white breath

Greens turned yellow

Then to red

And I pushed off

Feet struggled to find traction

Upon my peddles

As my bike rolled

Across the empty crosswalk

I looked up

My vision filled

With a large symbol

Headlights

Grill

Which I once knew well

I stumbled

I peddled

I got out of the way

Movement washed cold wind

Across my face

Clearing fog and improving vision

I turned to see

The flaxen haired motorist

Who hadn’t graced my presence

Since the sun was hot

And Cajun music

Wafted through the air

Our eyes did not meet

She had turned to fiddle

With something in the back seat

The light turned green

And she was gone

But the memories of days gone by

Flooded back

And I wondered if I would ever

Grace the tavern again

To put down money

For beers and the gambling of meat

Our First Laugh

Our First Laugh

By: James Dubeau

As we sit here

On this curb

Sharing our first laugh

We are living moments

The best moments

We’ll ever have

Between you and I

This is as good as it gets

When anything is possible

No annoying habits

No hurt feelings

It’s all downhill from here

Someone will say something

Bitterness will creep in

One of us will be hurt

It’ll all become a chore

Until it is ended

And we go our separate ways

But let us not think about that

The way it always goes

Let’s live in this moment

Live it up while we can

Be happy and joyful

And enjoy this laugh

Before it turns to tears

So Long Space Cowboy

So Long Space Cowboy

By: James Dubeau

Single streak of white

Against the endless azure

As it turns to black

And the starry void

Above and beyond

With you was carried

More than just

2800 tons of rocket fuel

There was also

The hopes and dreams

Of every man, woman, and child

As you bounded across

That hunk of cheese

Even today

Children still dream

Of walking with you

Bouncing with each step

From the Eagle

So with a heavy heart

I must say

To you Neil Armstrong

So long

Space cowboy

Mid Fall

Mid Fall

By: James Dubeau

Footfall after footfall

Against the trail

Running across the countryside

The sun tried to cling to the sky

But slowly fell behind me

Joining leafless trees

And dead prairie grass

Upon the horizon

It is these autumn days

Same days as last year

And the year before that

Which has me wondering

About my place in this world

As I watch those blossoms

Which once had vitality

Wither and die