again the question

Her question was disturbingly familiar. It was
metaphysically one with the questions I had
been asked before, tormented in a moment
that passed forever, unable to answer
as the gears ground and wheels spun
and by the time my mind - in either
a fugue state, or a sort of loose
federation of fugue states each
considered free equals with a
technical degree of autonomy -
by the time I returned to
the moment, I realized

I had already answered.

And
I dunno.

It seemed to
have gone alright.
Been received well. But
what the hell could I have
said? I returned to myself

to your question.

to now.

For the first time,
I trust someone else enough.
I have already answered, and
you seem happy. Satisfied, so

I ask you, "Could you say that
back?" "What I just said?"

Perplexed, suddenly
suspicious

of being made a fool, you
sharply change the subject and
from there it all goes wrong, I should

have let it lie
or if it was the truth, I don't know
let it rest. Next time

Next time