4/5/20
Prompted by Blake’s Question
in this time of mandatory stay at home
For Stephen
We do what we can
to laugh, to love
to live another day.
And when we learn better
hopefully we do better.
How have you and I stayed
together 48+ years—still friends?
Once the question is out there
I’ve been thinking back
to the roller coaster
our constant notes written and left
to find, funny, sometimes thoughtful
sometimes informative, touching base.
The times we might have split
but worked through it
the relentless medical challenges
job stresses, raising two kids
personal growth, changing, not always
in perfect parallel aligned
“and if I fall behind, wait for me.”
But here we are together
almost half a century after that first January
when we sat side by side in the front row
the first day of a college literature class
had our first conversation of countless many.
Here we are still interested
still laughing, watching out for each other
still loving.
Margaret Dubay Mikus
© 2020
From my poetic journal, a reminder that this week (Jan 17, 1972) is celebrating 49 years together. The quote is a reference to a Bruce Springsteen song.
Unexpected Wave, CA Beach, by M D Mikus, Copyright 2013
After the Wave, taken by Stephen Mikus 2013
