Friend

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A dialogue of smiles 
                              reflections
                                                   and responses
                                             of projected emotions
might mean
anything
from
                                        Athehna’s arthritic pains
    to Pahn’s
                               scrambling out
                                                        beneath his upbringing

A sharing of speech
thoughts set in front
                                         of their faces
                                    for approval
                     or impression
     might mean
     anything
     from
                                          his affection for her
      to her
                  need
                                                                for intellectual stimulation
 
              And when he dreamed
           of talking
          hugging
          kissing

           she liked the talking
          tolerated the hugging
             but said no to the kisses…

             …now
             Athehna has become Ahstrild
Pahn is with Penelopeya                                                     
He tells her of his time with Ahstrild—                             

                “We made love
                    way back then”

Penelopeya is shocked                                                 
even after all the time that has passed

“When could you have?”

she asks

And Pahn thinks                                                     
                         about all the times     when they were alone
and in his memory                                      
he can think of no time when they could have

although
in the minds of others                                                
it would have been easy…                            So Pahn went to work
sad                  
                 that it was so rare
        to find
                         love-making
                                 in his dreams
 
                          affection
 
              so seldom.

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