Quick
Bare distance between
love and hate --
seconds, minutes
swift infinities.
Quick switch
in words, emotions --
years, decades
treasured, now tossed.
Chameleon colors
mask and hide
seething feelings
suddenly firm.
Then
Give me an instant
an hour, overnight --
maybe flowers, smiles
simple apologies.
Absolutes flex
within yielding egos --
domination diminishes
from outrageous arrogance.
Time fixes
broken stitches, threads
slowly, carefully
silently mended.
Not forgotten.
By Lynne A. McNamara
Published in California Quarterly, Vol. 50, No. 1, Spring 2024
