i touched the beach today
with the sand beneath my feet
walking through the surf
my mind was at peace
i was covered by the clouds
the sun was still behind
it was the time
the time that was
mine

They will call this the summer
that never happened
because we were in our houses
The feeling of the sea while
standing in the surf
was missed because we never
opened and went out the door
The people were missed and
their voices not heard
We were lost in our thoughts
and feelings of fear
And we never opened the door
to let the summer begin

So here it is
a week
And here is an
Oblique Kiss
that is more like a poke
or a tweak
like being in the grocery store
and getting a bump
from behind
You can smile back
And say you don’t mind
And then you can decide
whether or not
you want a different kind of kiss
in a week’s time
Or just a regular old SMOOCH

I am sending you an Obtuse Kiss
It is coming to you
Not directly
But a little bit
Off to the side
It is coming to you
from where you can’t see it
but it can feel you
so you can’t hide
when it lands
on your ear, your nose, or your eye
even though it was meant
for your cheek
And if you are really liking it
I can send you an Oblique Kiss
In a week

I can’t think with my mask on
My senses have gone
Absolutely numb
I can’t tell when I am shopping
if I am buying a cucumber
or if it is just my thumb
I am tired of pretending to smile
When I am really not
And you would think the
Virus would get the message
And go away

I understand that they don’t go swimming
They are afraid they will drown and float away
So I think the safest place for me
Is at the beach today.

I was confused
So I just explained it to myself
in a way I could understand
It was in my operator’s manual but
in the confusion
it wasn’t very clear
But since I went back into the moment
(that means I was there and not here)
the cloudiness is clearly clear
So nevermind
No explaining needed in the self induced ether
of my stratosphere.

Someone gave me this book of poems
It reminded me of you
The time we once had
The things we used to do
But all these things are all
passed now
Now there is
you and me
to talk
and remind each other of the
time

Reach into the past
to remind me of the
things I like to do
like walking on the beach
with the sea so blue
to take away all
the fears and half truths of today
reach into the past and use it
for today

Drifting off into the dark abyss
of blessed sleep
The rhythm of the wind
is my lullaby
as I close one eye
and keep the other watching
as the stars come out
from their hiding place
in the sky

I felt there were some wanderings
around that were happening
last night
But knowing it was not me
was enough
to not want to turn on the light
If it was me
I would have to ask
What was I doing up
feeling in a wandering kind of way
And then I would have to answer
And what would I say
There is no really kind of answer
one can give for that kind of thing
in the middle of the night
even to one’s self.

Wandering is best
left as one
And the rest of us
should should just
roll over and go to sleep