Being in love late in life comes with obstacles. The relationship can be strong and bring peace and is enough in the moments together. But then there are the moments apart. Logistics, you know. So you take the moments and count your blessings.


Obstruction

Words formed something like a promise,
met with soft surprise, then stumbling
over reasons why not,
minds traveling down different paths
searching for the one path
strewn with the fewest boulders.

We wish for a solid plan,
for a future where nights do not end
with begrudging partings
but the soft sounds of falling
into sleep, waking to coffee.

We could spend our days dreaming
of earthquake moments that clear the path,
but dreams are for the young;
with each choice not made,
we live within the walls
we leave standing.



Poetry by Melinda K Zarate The PoetBay support member heart!
Read 142 times
Written on 2026-08-10 at 15:59

Tags Love  Aging  Obstacles 

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Sameen The PoetBay support member heart!
This is a mature and quietly sad piece. The image of two people searching for the path with the fewest boulders is a strong way to describe a relationship stuck in caution. The turn from dreaming of earthquake moments to the line "dreams are for the young" carries real resignation, and it lands without melodrama. The poem does stay a little abstract though. We feel the weight of choices not made, but not the texture of the lives involved. One specific image, a room, a city, a particular night, would make the walls feel more real. Still, the voice is honest and grounded.
2026-08-25


Griffonner The PoetBay support member heart!
Oh, gosh! The meaning in this piece. So accurate. So true. Great observational poem. Blessings, Allen
2026-08-10