I

felt

.

t

h

e

.

trace

.

o

f

.

that

warm

.

a

n

d

.

welcome

gray

–

–

today . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

 ~ that

warm

.

a

n

d

.

welcome

gray

.

f

r

o

m

.

that

day

.

i

n

.

the

rain . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

 ~ that

day

.

i

n

.

the

rain

–

–

when

something

–

–

which

.

a

t

.

first

–

–

seemed

.

s

o

.

strange

.

a

n

d

.

full

.

o

f

.

shame . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

became

.

s

o

.

great

.

o

n

.

the

page . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

 ~ it

became

.

s

o

.

great

.

o

n

.

the

page,

.

i

n

.

later

days . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

f

o

r

–

–

–

we

engaged

.

a

n

d

.

restrained . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

a

n

d

–

–

–

engaged

.

a

n

d

.

restrained . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

a

n

d

–

–

–

engaged . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

We

engaged . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

w

i

t

h

–

–

–

feelings

awake

.

a

n

d

.

ablaze . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

We

engaged . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

We

engaged . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

i

n

–

–

–

the

haste

.

o

f

.

a

tender

age . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

We

engaged . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

We

engaged . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

We

engaged . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

We

engaged

–

–

–

.

.

.

a

n

d

–

–

–

everything

changed . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

 ~ yes,

.

w

e

.

engaged

–

–

–

.

.

.

a

n

d

–

–

–

everything

changed . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

a

n

d

–

–

–

was

never

.

t

h

e

.

same . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

 ~ it

.

w

a

s

.

never

.

t

h

e

.

same

–

–

again . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

I

felt

.

t

h

e

.

trace

.

o

f

.

that

warm

.

a

n

d

.

welcome

gray . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

I

felt

.

t

h

e

.

trace

.

o

f

.

that

warm

.

a

n

d

.

welcome

gray . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

I

felt

.

t

h

e

.

trace

.

o

f

.

that

warm

.

a

n

d

.

welcome

gray . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

f

r

o

m

–

–

–

that

day

.

i

n

.

the

rain . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

 ~ that

day

.

i

n

.

the

rain,

–

–

which

became

.

s

o

.

great

.

o

n

.

the

page . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

i

t

–

–

–

haunts

me

–

–

again

today.

Reflection: This was a popular reflective-themed poem that I wrote back in August of 2022 about an awkward, romantic encounter in the days of youth. I played the wonderful, haunting song “First Thing in the Morning” by Secret Sun and the poem pretty much wrote itself from that (playing the song repeatedly on low volume to create the “moodset” for the poem). It was written fairly quickly – like a couple of hours or so. If you listen to the song at low volume while reading this poem, you might better get the “feel” of it.