i had my hand in this,
in the geographies now between us.
my hand which pushed you back, drew
you in. & felt the figures
which gave the game away.

had i simply told you in our interim,
in those months which arched over
our romance to this looming spring,
had i told you that i returned
the favour & the feeling,
you would be here now.

we'd be sharing this weather, this hemisphere.
stranger, did my silence stifle you?
did it drive you so far?

oh god, i never wanted to change the course of a man's life. never.