"I Hope I Can Forget"

She never went to school
To be a private investigator,
But in recent days, she might
Have sworn she was destined
For that kind of career.

Two days ago, after a quiet dinner,
She stumbled upon a set of pictures,
Evidence of her friend's indiscretions.
Undeniably, it was her best friend
And he had buried himself.

When she saw her friend,
She confronted him.
"What the hell?" she demanded.
This isn't him, she thought.
He stared blankly, taken aback.

She whispered, "I saw them."
"I saw the pictures."
"Shhh," he said. "Not now,"
"Later..." (Nothing else.)
He continued talking to the others.

It was hard for her to engage
In conversation at the table.
She knew what he had taken great care
To hide--And she knew what she knew
Could change the status of the universe.

Afterward, after maintaining
A calm and cool demeanor,
He met his friend in the parking lot.
"I'm sorry you saw those pictures,"
He said. "There's no excuse for them."

"No," she said with finality.
"There is no excuse."
She looked at her friend,
Realizing she barely knew him.
"I just hope I can forget them."

Whether she did indeed forget,
Whether their friendship
Was forever tainted or healed,
We may never know--and who can say?
Who can say what is best?

------------------------
Another poem based on a headline I saw today.

Because I'm Smiling

It's become evident to me
That you think,
Because I'm smiling,
That all is well and we dance
On Sunshine and Rainbows
Again...

When we don't.

You've made it clear
That you think you can
Erase a slate, White Out wrongs,
Champion the "Forget"
In "Forgive and Forget";
Clearly...

I have not forgotten.

You sleep soundly,
Breathing deeply,
Dreaming dreams;
All is well in your world,
You think there is balance,
Obviously...

I beg to disagree.

Because I'm smiling,
You have come to believe
That we are at peace,
That the battle is over,
The storm has passed--
Conveniently...

I'm here to tell you:
It has not.

No, behind this smile
Is a girl trying to come to terms
With grace and boundaries
And sin and lies;
Not to mention our future,
Dubious...

No, I am not smiling inside.

There is a storm brewing
On the inside of me--
You should know that.
To be fair, you should know
That all hell has yet to break
Loose...

This is not over.

---------------------------------------
This poem is based on one of today's headlines. A high profile couple who clearly didn't know each other, discovered shocking and painful secrets about each other.

"Got a Cigarette?": At A Stoplight This Morning

At the first of many traffic signals I would encounter en route to work this morning, I found myself sitting at a red light. This, in itself, is never a source of stress for me because this particular intersection is the one that leads to the elementary school--it is usually only a matter of moments before the light changes.

No problemo.

Very rarely, if ever, is this a place where unusual things happen. This morning, however, it was just that.

As I dug around in my bag for my cell phone, a middle-aged woman in high-water pants and a crocheted hat of sorts crossed in front of my car. I saw her look at my car, then me, then me again. She looked at my face, as if she were assessing me. I could tell she was trying to make up her mind about something.

Then it happened. She walked up to my car door.

I cracked the window, praying the light wouldn't be long in changing.

"Hello..." I said.

"You got a cigarette?" she asked me, with a haggard look on her face.

"No, I don't, sister," I said. "I'm sorry."

And I was sorry.

At that moment, I found myself wishing I had, for no apparent reason, one or two cigarettes in tow. "Why don't I keep a pack stashed in the car for moments like these?" (Maybe because these moments never happen...?!?!?)

But seriously: I'd like to be prepared for moments like these, that's all. Be able to help someone in need. Person to person.

In that short space of time between her question and the light change, I chided myself for not having a cigarette or any money on my person to give her. By the looks of it, I might have been able to really brighten her day.

It doesn't take much, you know. To brighten someone's day. I just hated that my daily offering was not much more than an awkward smile.

She turned and went her way, with an audible sigh, and the light changed.

And I've thought about her all day.