Reunion

once more slowly, tentatively we come together,

our caution tells us to inspect one another closely

as if playing a ‘spot the difference’ game,

we wonder pensively where each of us has been

whose company we have kept and on balance 

whether danger lurks within the answers we receive,

there is an awkwardness at first,

we used to embrace warmly, a cheek offered

a ‘bisou’ placed on both,

now neither of us are sure, what the other will accept

settling for a stroked arm or a gentle pat,

feeling our route back to the way we were

feeling ridiculous but neither crumbling first,

then there is wine, food, conversation, laughter,

time is rewound, guards slowly gradually fall and

all too soon the carriages await,

a good night, recounting events and as we travel home

glad that a friendship has survived,

the jokes, the old stories shared escapades and 

the hand-sanitizer on the toilet shelf.

*

© Graham Sherwood 09/21