Thus The Distance Speaks... Poem by RIC BASTASA

we have freed ourselves
from your goodness
we were mum at first
and we never talked about it
we walked away
traveled the needed distance
climbed those hills
and found a valley where we could rest
to get the whole view
we turned our backs against each other
i went west
she went east
and we went beyond
the frame of our
social conventions
the causes of the distortions
of our own images
of ourselves
and theirs too

we have scene the view upon
our own truths
you were all blessings in disguises
all of you
with what you did give
have made us
love ourselves more
we were rip van winkles
awakened from a very deep sleep
and now that we have seen
all the angles
we have decided
it is better this way
the distances speak so well
and we must listen
like this
earth...