You
did
.
n
o
t
.
say . . .
–
–
–
.
.
.
b
u
t
–
–
–
I
knew
.
i
t
.
anyway . . .
–
–
–
.
.
.
~ I
knew
.
i
t
.
anyway . . .
–
–
–
.
.
.
I
knew
.
i
t
.
in
.
t
h
e
.
way,
.
t
h
e
.
days
–
–
would
race
away,
.
a
n
d
.
try
.
t
o
.
escape . . .
–
–
–
.
.
.
I
knew
.
i
t
.
in
.
t
h
e
.
way
–
–
that
page,
–
–
after
page,
–
–
after
page,
–
–
after
page
–
–
everything
remained
.
t
h
e
.
same . . .
–
–
–
.
.
.
Everything
remained
.
t
h
e
.
same . . .
–
–
–
.
.
.
~ the
once,
–
–
vibrant
colors
–
–
trading
.
f
o
r
.
grays . . .
–
–
–
.
.
.
~ the
buying
.
o
f
.
more
lace
.
a
n
d
.
new
games
.
t
o
.
play . . .
–
–
–
.
.
.
t
o
–
–
–
prove
we’re
–
–
still
okay . . .
–
–
–
.
.
.
We
played
–
–
those
games . . .
–
–
–
.
.
.
We
played
–
–
those
games . . .
–
–
–
.
.
.
We
played
–
–
those
games . . .
–
–
–
.
.
.
t
o
–
–
–
prove
we’re
–
–
still
okay . . .
–
–
–
.
.
.
~ to
prove
–
–
we’re
.
s
t
i
l
l
.
okay . . .
–
–
–
.
.
.
even
though
–
–
when
.
w
e
.
embrace
–
–
we’re
far,
–
–
far
away . . .
–
–
–
.
.
.
~ we’re
far,
–
–
far
away
.
f
r
o
m
.
the
place
–
–
where
we
.
a
r
e
.
today . . .
–
–
–
.
.
.
~ far
away
.
f
r
o
m
.
that
place
–
–
where
.
w
e
.
wait,
.
a
n
d
.
age,
–
a
n
d
–
watch
.
i
t
.
fade . . .
–
–
–
.
.
.
We
watch
.
i
t
.
fade . . .
–
–
–
.
.
.
We
watch
–
i
t
–
fade . . .
–
–
–
.
.
.
~ the
romance . . .
–
–
–
.
.
.
~ the
rhythm . . .
–
–
–
.
.
.
a
n
d
–
–
–
the
rhyme . . .
–
–
–
.
.
.
carelessly
rolling
.
o
u
t
.
with
.
t
h
e
.
tide . . .
–
–
–
.
.
.
It
rolls
.
o
u
t
.
with
.
t
h
e
.
tide . . .
–
–
–
.
.
.
It
rolls
.
o
u
t
.
with
.
t
h
e
.
tide . . .
–
–
–
.
.
.
It
rolls
.
o
u
t
.
with
.
t
h
e
.
tide . . .
–
–
–
.
.
.
without
.
s
o
.
much
.
a
s
.
a
–
–
somber
sigh . . .
–
–
–
.
.
.
a
–
–
pale
goodbye . . .
–
–
–
.
.
.
o
r
–
–
–
even
a
–
–
warming
word
.
t
o
.
write . . .
–
–
–
.
.
.
You
did
.
n
o
t
.
say . . .
–
–
–
.
.
.
b
u
t
–
–
–
I
knew
.
i
t
.
anyway . . .
–
–
–
.
.
.
~ I
knew
.
i
t
.
in
.
t
h
e
.
way,
–
–
the
days
–
–
raced
away,
.
a
n
d
.
tried
.
t
o
.
escape . . .
–
–
–
.
.
.
~ I
knew
.
i
t
.
in
.
t
h
e
.
way
–
–
that
page,
–
–
after
page,
–
–
after
page . . .
–
–
–
.
.
.
everything
remained
.
t
h
e
.
same.
Reflection: This was a popular romantic-themed poem I wrote back in July of 2022 about a fading romance and the subtle cues along the way. I wrote much of this poem at Daytona Beach (at least a good draft). The opening words came to me and the poem sort of wrote itself from there. At home, I refined it using the song “Picture You” by The Amazing playing in the background at low volume to create the “moodset” for the poem. If you listen to the song at low volume while reading this poem, you might better get the “feel” of it.