Poetry Thursday

When 'Underneath It All' Isn't Good Enough

It was a friendship of overlays,
like the "frog" entry in an old World Book Encylopedia,
where the body is made up from layers:
organs
under bones
under muscles
under skin.
Just flip the page.

There was love, of course,
but it was obscured by other things:
judgement
under insecurity
under jealousy
under fear.

It was a worn encyclopedia of a friendship,
some pages ripped out,
some stuffed back in,
missing pages-
miscommunication-
misunderstanding-
and missed opportunity.

It was a history lesson buried
in the bog of a shelf
like a weathered, stale encyclopedia:
damaged,
useless,
eventually

forgotten.
____________

For Poetry Thursday links, visit Liz at Be Present, Be Here.