Ted van Zutphen

that summer by the sea

sleeping on the beach we look at the stars all night long it's cold but we are warm close together nothing can ever happen to us

waves whisper…
not just my feet
get wet

we had it all but were not frugal like two spoiled kids now we stand here empty handed sad angry bitter we don't get it we don't understand what went wrong nobody can tell us we let it slip through our hands… both of us

how long ago was this
kids grow up
relationships end

love dies
it is what it is
that's the way it goes

setting moon…
the wall between us
brick by brick*

letting go is not easy there's always wanting to go back to the familiar you're fighting the undertow that wants to sweep you out to sea into the unknown then there's that brief moment where you realise that the flow of whatever is next has to be… land sea float sink life death there's no tomorrow yesterday today only now

darkness
holding on to light—
morning star

*haiku previously published in Simply Haiku (Summer 2011 Vol. 9, No.1)