Lunchtime in the park
You’ve text me you need a break
You’ve had a busy morning of
Cancer Inauguration’s of people who are
Scared of what their future hold’s
You know through experience that only half will survive
You needed a break and a comforting arm around your shoulder
and the reassurance of a kiss upon your cheek
you receive all in the park at lunchtime
a small group of teenage girls go by
they couldn’t have been no more than fifteen years old
a small presentation of what our future holds
we’re clench in fingertips, locked in lips,
I admit we were lost in the moment for a brief second
because being gay in a very straight world we are
always,
always
planning our advances
I hear one remark with venom
“Did you see that, they were ‘gay kissing’ “
This comment makes me angry, but importantly it makes
me sad that this a sample view of our younger generation
who can differentiate between a kiss and a gay kiss,
would they differentiate between loves?
would they keep us oppressed and try force us back into closets?
it makes me disillusioned
then an old couple come join us on the bench,
they see your wearing hospital scrubs
they strike up conversation of how they lost their daughter
ten years ago to breast cancer
you can see the rawness is their eyes
they ask us if we are a couple,
reluctantly I confirm we are
their reply is simple yet beautiful
and it fills my heart with warmth and restores my faith
“Cherish each other”,
“Be there for each other”,
and “Love one another.”
we take their advice and say our goodbyes and
hand in hand we take our leave
We overhear the old woman comment to her husband
“What a nice couple they were. “, he replies “Yes dear they were.”
It makes us smile and and you squeeze my hand
as we continue to walk on hand in hand
that lunchtime in the park
©Copyright 2013 by June Bolland.
All rights reserved
