Distance Poem by Michael Ernst

The extent or amount of space between two things
That's how Webster's describes it to me
So I imagine an almost infinite span
Or an area between two tiny points I can't even see

I've heard that absence makes the heart grow fonder
When it comes to distance that's just not the case
Whether half the world apart, or only a state or six away
When it comes to matters of the heart, that's just too much space

But it doesn't have to be miles of separation
To manifest itself in a mind or a heart
It can be as near as the one you're holding
And still make you feel like you're galaxies apart

So it appears distance is not just a measurable thing
A linear extent of space between points it seems
But also a feeling that defies definition
That exists in the great expanse between reality and dreams

(2012)