the conversation becomes general

leaving behind the god-awful news of the day

in fact   the conversation becomes

companionable silence as we each drift into

our own thoughts   as so often happens here   

where the view is lovely   the air is soft   

the sounds benign  the company easy   

still  the reality of events lingers

and despite my best efforts my thoughts race

enough   i say to my inner-voice   stop

i’m going for a run    i know this run will end where it began   

and events   like my shadow   will follow 

but as a quick-fix   a salve   it may work   and i need it

i get up to go inside and change 

 ~

wait   says colin   i'll go with you   to which i say   yippee skippee   

we get to spend so little time together   back in ten      

put on shorts   tees   running shoes   and we’re off  

jogging side by side on the two lane   finding our rhythm  

chuffing a bit more than i would like i ask   how are you   

because i really don't know   it’s been too long

since we’ve had a heart to heart   good   he says   good is the short answer   

hey   i say   good is enough   but he goes on   i'm liking it here   

pause to catch breath   these are good people   pause   it’s a community 

of like-minded folks   pause   competitive but cooperative  

long pause   i guess we're all in the same boat   pause   

at least the small vineyards   pause   work is good   long pause

i like being out of the city   then   just the sound of our breathing

and footfall   he's said all he's going to say

~  

turning the conversation to myself i say  

i'm feeling pretty isolated   we kind of block out the world   

i'm not sure i like that   we’ve become très domestique

and it's true   not much dancing going on

it's nice running with colin   really nice   there's no one like him   

no one gentler   more gracious   less judgmental

i can't help myself   i ask   are you in touch with marcy

that's a loaded question   i've always wondered

why they never got together   the two best people i know

i can see he's formulating an answer

which means that the answer isn’t as simple as no

he smiles a little   a patented colin smile   we talk   

i feel a paradigm shift   it isn't the words   

it's the way he says the words  

~

something has changed   something to the good

i’m willing to leave it at that   so is he   

we run   i have a vision of us   two as one   each 

with our long hair in a pony tail  swishing side to side

in rhythm   our strides even and easy   our shadows 

drawn long behind us on the asphalt   

we're two friends having a moment   no need for conversation   

but he says   we're in touch   then   quiet 

we come to a natural stopping point   a crossroads

a four-way stop   no traffic   nothing but rows of vines 

covering the golden   sleepy-sunday hills   it’s a beautiful

california day   we’ve left the world behind after all

we stop and rest   catch our breath   take in the day

turn for home   our shadows lead the way