Seems a long time ago, Tina

Seems a long time ago, Tina

Staring at a picture book
as cellos saw away outside
Photographs of 1981
Seems very real to me
such a regal lady
but it is another land
far away
before I threw it all away
for her
I know that truth still echoes
and hurts
and just reminds me just how
confused the gambles made
could sometimes be.

Tina maybe some days
do you remember Dunkin' Dine
when we would go there
and play the little juke
box that was on all the tables?
George Harrison
remembered John and
"All those years ago."
Played The Who a lot:
as we looked into each others' eyes
and swore this would stick:
"You better, you better you bet!"
Six months later
all, and I do mean all .
. . was lost.

Tina like a painting
in my memory
with your long red cartoon hair
green tiger eyes
deep and pure with honesty
just about as tall as me
as we clinched together like
Leonard Cohen's crucifix
a raving beauty
of fire and ice and a sparkle of green.

Game for any games
I could think of
you were always taking
the photos
and rarely appeared in any
in Summer of 1981.

Now I wish I had insisted more
took the camera
to for a moment be an artist
so I could see you
just a little while
but then again no.

Because even now I know folks
who like
being the photographer
because that is being
the artist
of the work
and that was you
in Summer of 1981.

I probably never mentioned
to you
at the time
since I'm not sure which of you
I was talking with
more that day
that I had a camera
filled with photos
of me and you
of me and Kathy and Clay
and those mutual cousins
in our scene.

As always running in a hurry
with my mind
filled with doubt and worry
I left that camera
sitting on a table
at Church's Chicken
across the street
from the Varsity Jr. hot dog stand
on Lindburg Drive
second guessing as time passed by

It was out of my sight
for five minutes
flashing by
as I would expect now
36 years of perspective later
it was gone
when I got back.

I asked the employees
but nobody would admit
the camera
was ever there
it was only a few minutes
one of those employees
had to have
stolen that camera.

This would be
a whole roll
of photos of us
from that same time period
these photos of
Summer 1981...
as we strolled
barefoot
on Cheshire Bridge Road.

And the shortcut
through the back streets
giggling
outside Sweet Gum Head bar
two green haired
punk rock boys
kissing
declared their love
like we did
that month in Summer 1981.

Tina I see you closed
that picture book
that box filled with your
poetry and trinkets
from a bygone modern age
I see you waving goodbye...
that was so long ago!

-Will Dockery (2018)