Once Upon a Time

*

You stood in the doorway

with your turquoise necklace,

like a talisman protecting you.

I almost believed that nothing

in the world was strong enough

to hurt you,

I believed you'd never said

the word that changed the whole equation,

and that we were still beginning a story

not wrapping up the ending.



Then, you said,

"We should run away and never come back."

and I knew this time you meant it

as you had every other time,

only this time you didn't laugh

to let me off the hook.



What could I say, but,

"I wish we could. I really wish we could."

You cried as if nothing in this world

could ever turn out well, standing in the doorway

with your turquoise necklace

only a necklace again.



-Brent Allard