 |
| Poetry |
| Ken Haynes Black & White Photos He was so handsome then Half the age I am now Foot propped on the bumper Of the shiny gray and black 1956 Chrysler Windsor With push-button transmission and overdrive Staring off into a future even shinier than the bumper She was so beautiful then -- and still is The wind off the Lake at Bear Mountain State Park Blew her freshly done hair and white linen dress In the same direction Her eyes -- deeper than the emerald green lake -- Looked to a place just beneath the surface of things Where only she could see No wonder he fell in love with her that Saturday afternoon Right in the presence of her parents and God We visited that place hundreds of times over the years On Sunday afternoon rides from the housing projects To the country where my sister and I heard over and over The story of their first meeting, and we smiled as though Hearing it for the first time as we squinted our eyes To make out what was left of the heart that Encircled their names Carved in a tree Near the edge of the lake Long before we were born I believe the heart is there still For trees are the best keepers of memories |
 |
 |