- perspective:  a close friendship that hasn't survived an amorous adventure...

He was six feet four

Thirty-four-year-old Goth,

skinny as anything;

without a shirt, it was scary.

His lips had a greenish-orange tint

'cause of his extreme paleness - so

very white was his skin,

as he always stood in shadows.

He wore black or burgundy shirts,

his black hair, black eyeliner,

black nail polish, black everything,

he was difficult to miss in a crowd.

His body in constant tremors,

so very socially phobic, keeping

apart from others; wanting to be,

not wishing to attract attention.

But he did exactly that with his look.

He said the look kept people at bay

which is precisely what he could handle

so he deliberately alienated himself.

An alcoholic agoraphobe musician

drinking himself silly every night

composing music no one'll never hear

In his own little world, own big lies.

He took so very little care of himself,

only eating cannelloni frozen dinners

and drinking and drinking and drinking

until he couldn't stand or move anymore.

Then he met a kindred spirit in her

How she understood without any words

freaked him out, but it brought solace,

even if he couldn't withstand it for long.

He couldn't hide from her

She always knew without him saying

No way for him to fool to escape,

it suffocated his breathing space.

So he left without warning one day

and all he ever was able to say to her

was "I've drifted further away from you,

more than I wanted to" and they parted.

She thinks that she loved him,

the feelings were so very strong.

True, the union, what came from it,

was questionable in many ways.

For one, drawing each other's

blood in the most ecstatic of pains,

inflicted to one and the other,

they reveled in this kind of thrill.

What that was about, wonder settles.

And how that could've been healthy

is the remnant chaos of this adventure

they fell into when they felt disarmed.

But she still feels him today

and she wonders if he ever

goes on to remember sometimes

when they had the needed best of time.

Hopes are that the years have been kind

and that he is happy is all that she wishes.

He will always have a special spot in

her fondest of memories from the past.