There are times in life where a feeling of love gets frozen in a time capsule. Then one day it shows up many years later and the memories are intoxicating and heart wrenching. This is a poem about unforgotten love, the bittersweet sense of good-byes and the thaw of memories that replenish your soul.

Hello Mr. Good-bye

Hello Mr. Good-bye
I saw you waiting for me a while ago
When we met the first time I was too young to understand
The full impact of our encounter

A lifetime came and went
Looking at you again required grief to consume every piece of my flesh
I tried to resist, but I’m powerless against your presence
If emotions are currency, I’m suddenly rich again
That evening so many heartbreaking years ago
Where the tears stained the pillowcase,
and we watched each other breathe into the night
the same night I learned your name

When I saw you waiting for me this time
I recognized you the moment we met
Desperately tying to align the pieces of a puzzle to ensure they all fit;
My head knew better, my heart forgot the lesson
I wanted to hold the memory of you as long as I could,
But you started to slip away and take my emotions with you

How did love sneak up on me, when I though my heart had frozen in time
What caused the thaw to occur and the melting of the inconsolable grief
Mr. Good-bye, this time will you stay with me
As our encounter will last the remainder of my life
When you saw me waiting for you,
I wanted to tell you what I couldn’t all along;
That I loved you the moment we met

Carl Meadows
July 23, 2013

Dedicated to Darcy