Reunion
Reunions make me sad
For all that I missed
Did I forget
Your birthday
Was I ever with you
Or just eyeing you
As we slid by
Each other
I never liked the winter
The way the landscape
Enveloped us
In whiteness
I wish I’d held your hand
And I should have known
That you longed for
Warm gestures
I gave you a sweater
You said you were cold
You don’t have to
Give it back
When I asked how are you
I did not listen
To hear you say
Who you were
We grew up together
Nursing growing pains
And ancient hurts
Like siblings
Some of us were wiser
Some of us were lost
Some of us fled
Some came back
I wondered who you’d be
Stories you would tell
Did they matter
And to whom
Militance means nothing
When it is fashion
Did we protest
On purpose
I see myself in you
Do you see me too
Are we still us
Or just ghosts
Your history is mine
I trust your version
What do we share
In public
Dancing in front of you
Makes me feel awkward
I am unsure
Of my grace
I wrote a love letter
Then threw it away
Addressed to you
With my grief
As we gather again
The past meets future
We have more than
Memories
When we see each other
I want to ask you
How you became
What you meant
I hope we won’t retreat
To separate worlds
I am sorry
That I left
— Anthony Weeks, June 1, 2020
