Mother's Warning

My mother

Always warned me:

There are two perfect places to

            Say goodbye—

Two Utterly

Perfect

Places to kiss goodbye

Without a need to ask why—

Two perfect places that have

            No trouble

Covering up the lie.

An army base is one—

That can’t be denied...

But you were never one

                                    For courage

Or fighting.

But neither am I,

So I will give in and

            Say goodbye.

But why does it have to be here?

Here on this

            Second perfect place,

With an umbrella over our heads

And your tearless face made wet with fog that cloaks all and gives this lie and air of romance:

This fog would almost have me

Love you again,

Like I did

When you came home after leaving the first time.

But this is the second time

And you gave me warning this

Time.

Said you wanted more,

Said all that

All that

To cover up your

True lie.

My mother always warned me

                                                About you.

And love.

But mostly...

About mixing the two.