stars across

From Bangballycock, Sopwithshire
she hailed. And he was from Precipice Bend,
Wyoma. Each of them in different ways
were perfectly suited to meet and match
and mate - she loved the green and sky,
and the seaside breeze of her late-lost
childhood. He was in love
with sunset-laid layers of rock
exposed by upheaval and wind
and rain, for good
and wearing away. And they each
felt a space in their heart
of bewitching specific shape
that ached with lack. But it
being 1930 back then, they settled
for someone handier, and went
to work making lives intact.
Compensating with strengths
such as they'd found, for whatever they
could not have or find. Shaping
and making themselves to fit. It's
a pretty good life, with dumb luck
for fate - and destiny's eyes
left mercifully blind
to what isn't there
to weave into it. One day
too late, on the internet
they met in a chat room devoted to
some chance intersection of interest
they shared. They each caught a glimmer of
long-lost shape of perfect lack
- but being both in
their nineties by then,
they each put it down
to imagination's gauzy glare
over years they'd not trade
for anything, from the days
that would not be coming back.
They decided, without agreeing,
to care. But not too much, since they each
knew the other was soon enough gone
from this world we share
too late, or too soon
for the load we bear.