Love Poem: Again
Monica Contreras Avatar
Written by: Monica Contreras

Again

Remember once when we last walked,  
The beach of our childhood, you asked?
Make your choice, as I trailed sand behind you.
Then I climbed beyond your long shadow to the stone shore
And you reached out to me, do not fall now.

What choice is there for me? Tanks are on the beach
Our mighty military strategy pointing to the penguins and the seagulls
Choose your future, you speaking against the wind
Barely, I heard your word future, all I saw were tanks
with your wavy smile you held my hair back, crazy hair girl
Come back, we belong here together.

A life without tanks, I said,
My choice is,
to dream, to build and to think free, that is my destiny,
Separated, a life-sentence, you whispered,
So unjust a choice, you screamed it.
I cried loudly, louder and wider than the waves,
You screamed it over, over and over, frightening the birds.

The tank guards thought ours a lover’s spat on the rocks,
smiling down as we shuffled out of the tide in random steps.
Beyond the beach, I left your bed, your patio, your street,
I flew into the air.

Remember, yesterday when I forgave you,
Your choice that is, 
to dream, to build and to stay here, that is your destiny,
And you reached out to me, do not fall now.
Separated, is our life sentence, I whispered.
Yes no choices left for us then, you said.
Choose again.