In The Light of The Evening

I work hard most days
hands all rough by six
ah, but it’s worth every callous
whatever’s needed
and when I’m done, I walk
right down the sea-front promenade
sip on a cup of something
so warm and so sweet
with those boats sailing in and out
in the lazy light of the evening

There forms a shape in the foam on my coffee
I see the outline of your nose and eyes
looking up at me
I wonder just how easily
all my hard work here could be dismantled
with just a few whispered words
wagged by your smiling tongue
just the softest touch of my fingers
along the youth of your skin
in the drunken light of the evening

There is infinite potential
of an infinite damage
in the arch of your eyebrow
in your heart-shaped pout
to capsize in your curves
would surely undo everything
so utterly
as you push your hair behind your ear
in the sticky light of the evening

Those ships keep coming in and going out
I tip the cup back, stand to leave
I work so hard to keep from writing letters
telling how much I long to have you
but I do what it’s right to do
I do what is right for you
button up my coat
walk slow and long across the sand
in the mournful light of the evening
the light that you loved

Walk you off
in the sorrowful light of the evening
the light that you loved…

[2016]

Thanks for reading.

https://linktr.ee/tomalexwrite

Published by

Tom Alexander

"Art is a lie that tells the truth"

24 thoughts on “In The Light of The Evening”

  1. Tom, I can feel you on this one. Doing a bit of the same myself, trying hard not to write love letters and keeping about the day’s business. But it sure crosses my mind every evening.

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    1. Sometimes that’s the way of things. Don’t write letters; write poems and channel that energy into something creative and unique. In the future you’ll be able to look back and admire what you turned the confusion and frustration into.

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    1. Glad you liked that one Don. This one came out start to finish as you read it above (though I did originally include a name I quite liked and subsequently removed it as it was a bit jarring). I do like it when something comes out fully formed with no edits required.

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  4. Glad you liked that one Don. This one came out start to finish as you read it above (though I did originally include a name I quite liked and subsequently removed it as it was a bit jarring). I do like it when something comes out fully formed with no edits required.

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    1. Thank you Veronica! That’s so kind of you to say and I’m really pleased you connected with this one. I’m looking forward to seeing more of your work. And many thanks for following me. Tom

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      2. What a lovely compliment. It seems we share a love of the ocean and your tag line “A quiet sanctuary for the drowning mind” echoes the blurb from the back of my poetry book. I’d said the poems were “silent songs for a noisy mind” 🙂

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      3. Your words make me believe in kindred spirits! The ocean is utterly poetic, isn’t it? I would love to read your poetry book – the verse you quoted resonates with my soul. ❤️

        Liked by 1 person

  7. Tom, I just read this one in your book and am glad I can come here to comment. This is incredibly beautiful. So many powerfully written lines! “but I do what’s right to do / I do what is right for you”. Stunning, simply stunning.

    Liked by 1 person

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    1. Oh wow, doubly thank you for buying my book and for reading/commenting. You have made my day 😀 🙏🏼 I’d actually love to revisit the characters from this poem one day, perhaps in a short story. We’ll have to see…

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