Third Place Books, Lake Forest Park. 

Those were years
when counting years
seemed to matter

We’d be leaving them behind
in a cloud of dust
or a cloud of atoms

so remembering
what we had
was going to be important

The coming of spring
and the long hot summers
were for enjoying our youth

Fun, travel, and adventure
and the kick of love
were what life was meant to be

We wanted to be
loud and dangerous
to be celebrated and seen

When you’re in love
you have to shout it out—
you just have to

Because at the beginning
it all counts more
as the life you’re making

And what a life we were making!
What a life it was going to be!

We weren’t dreamers
but we were dreaming
and it was going to be you and me

We ran into trouble
when we stopped counting

That’s why
the years don’t count anymore

(19 January 2018)