so many quiet spots in our lives

so many quiet spots in our lives

A Poem by Philip Gaber


You told me you grew up in a foster home.

Fantasized about being adopted by that
anguished young couple you saw in your
bedroom window on that chill New Year’s Eve
morning.

The husband,
smoking, shaking his head and looking
at his wristwatch,
stood stiffly.

The wife,
silent and sullen,
arms folded,
eyes shielded by sunglasses,
paced the parking lot.

But you decided he was too short to be
your father
and she was too hard-looking to be
your mother,
so you scrapped the whole idea.

Then suddenly, you looked at me and said,
“I’m sorry. I gotta go.”

“Wha?”

“I’m not in a perfect place these days…”

“What are you talking about?”

“I can’t do this… I’m sorry… Love is…
It’s not what I’m interested in at the moment…
We’ll only end up imploding…”

“Imploding?”

“My foster mother told me, with men you’ve
got to be loving, adoring, and forgiving…
And I… am none of those things…”

“We made plans,” I said. “We were gonna
move to Santa Barbara… You were gonna
open up a little rare bookshop… I was gonna
find me… What happened?”

“All I can say is, I have no idea what to say…
Let’s just stick a fork in it and call it a day…”

You held out your hand and wished me a
great life.

Instinctively, I offered my hand,
but I was so stunned,
it just sort of dangled there
and we never did shake hands.

You reached into your purse,
took out a bottle of aspirin,
popped three of
them in your mouth and
chased them with some coffee.

“It’s gonna be alright,” you said.
“Everything’s gonna be alright.”

That night, I walked to that all-night
diner where we’d first met
and had a piece of key
lime pie.

I felt like I was coming down with a fever
so I went into the bathroom to splash
some cool water on my face.

I avoided the mirror altogether;
I wasn’t ready to confront that look of
heavy resignation beginning to form around
my eyes.

I went back to my table,
pulled out my wallet,
laid down a ten
and left.

© 2024 Philip Gaber


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Reviews

Yes, I agree with John. Maybe better to go Dutch on that one.
and come in different cars.
Sometimes too many issues can make a relationship so crazy....I know this from experience...
every day is chaos.
And you did leave a really nice tip.
j.

Posted 4 Months Ago


1 of 1 people found this review constructive.

Philip Gaber

4 Months Ago

Ha ha! Definitely. Some people are so quick with their decisions. That's mind-blowing. Thanks, J.
Actually, I believe fate might have been on your side that night.

Posted 4 Months Ago


1 of 1 people found this review constructive.

Philip Gaber

4 Months Ago

Very true, John. I have to be thankful for those nights, as well. Thanks for stopping by.

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2 Reviews
Added on July 7, 2024
Last Updated on July 7, 2024

Author

Philip Gaber
Philip Gaber

Charlotte, NC



About
I hate writing biographies. I was one of those kids who rode a banana seat bike and watched Saturday morning cartoons and Soul Train. But my mother would never buy any of those sugary cereals for us k.. more..

Writing