She Likes Them More

Sitting in my silver Audi,

I noticed out the corner of my eye,

A silhouette moving slower than a freight train,

Heaven, have mercy --

As I'm sure you guys will all agree --

Waiting for a girl to get ready can drive a man insane...

Gently the wind blew,

As night darkened its hue,

And eagerly I anticipated her door opening;

When finally she was in view,

I exclaimed, "Sacrebleu!";

That which I took in far exceeded breathtaking.

And not to be impolite,

I joined her under that faint moonlight,

Sweetly escorting her to my car,

"No babysitting tonight,"

I said, "Even if it makes you blithe;
Just relax, amiga -- let me be your chauffeur."


The taillights' crimson glare,
Shimmered upon the thoroughfare,
Wet from an earlier downpour;
And the scent of Garnier,
That wafted from her hair,
Collided with pungent petrichor.


I turned the radio on,
To the sound of James Durbin,
Singing that Carole King cover;
But looking in her direction,
I noticed a wistful mien,
Prompting me to pull my car over.


"I shouldn't be out having fun;
I should be home with the 'little ones!'"
She said to me emphatically;
It was midway through my three-point turn,
That I had the stark realization:
"She likes the kids more than me."


Now, I was despondent...
But my friend's happiness was salient;
Indeed there was nothing like seeing her smile --
To make her content,
After seeing her upset,
Nothing gives me a greater thrill.


Before I took her back,
I filled her breadbasket,
And got something for the kids as well,
In spite of the setback,
The night was still perfect,
For I was in her presence, if only for a little while.


The feeling was bittersweet,
As I turned onto her street,
Her house in my ken;
When we arrived, I opened my mouth to speak,
To wish her a good night's sleep,
And that's when she invited me in...


(We...babysat...together.)




- Kevin B. Waring

The Closer II

Not all tasks are seen to completion,

Many people in the course of battle remit,

But y -- you encompass the heart of a champion,

That cando Latino spirit.

A three-year peregrination,
Culminated by a night you won't soon forget --
Indeed, I recall when and where it all began,
The classroom in which we first met;
Then, high was the sun,
As were the numbers on the thermostat --
It was difficult to sit in class, pay attention,
And ward off the beads of sweat --
Moreover...it didn't help to have near me such a beautiful person,
Even when far away from me you sat.


Not all tasks are seen to completion,
Many people in the course of battle remit;
But you encompass the heart of a champion,
That cando Latino spirit...
When others exclaim they can't, you say, "Yes, I can!"
And persevere until the job is finished.


When summer ceded to autumn,
I began to loosen up a little;
The class learned of my fondness for Bryan Adams,
While my affection for you I wasn't as eager to tell --
Not vouchsafe to them,
But to you without shticks or frills --
Yet, at the same time, it couldn't be ho-hum,
Because -- with you -- I didn't...want...to...fail.


I really wanted you, and still do to some degree,
But perhaps it's not meant for our lives to be woven into one tapestry.


From my soul's recesses...
I spoke the words that longed to be freed --
Well, rather, those words I expressed,
In a form a la Coleridge and Keats,
Really, Love, I tried my damnedest,
But nonetheless failed to succeed --
Lesson learned:  The breadth of a harvest,
Isn't always proportionate to the number of sewn seeds --
Please heed this knowledge, Genesis,
As unto the future you, with caution, proceed.


The tasks that are to completion seen through,
Don't always produce the desired result --
But of all the things you can do,
Never blame yourself and say, "It's all my fault."


I blamed myself and found fault within,
Wondered what I could've done differently,
To elude your heart's cordon,
And be the one to make you happy;
There would've been no greater guerdon --
Save making it to Heaven -- than being your one and only...


...


As with any failure, there is little consolation,
Knowing you gave your all only to come up empty --
So, as you ready for the next phase after graduation,
If ever during your journey should you grow weary,
Simply recall the Lord's oblation;
Know He wouldn't have done it for just anybody.


You are somebody, and always remember...


You encompass the heart of a champion,
That cando Latino spirit...
When others say they can't, you exclaim, "Yes, I can!"
And persevere until the job is finished.




- Kevin B. Waring