Dark Glasses Poem by Roy William Gotaas

Shield yourself -
Lead or carbon-fibre, some such
Impenetrable mask,
Black blank glasses:
For burn you my looking will this time.

Search you out I will
Through & through and through for fault;
For reason to leave, to care no more -
Find you out before the bell tolls I will, this time.



Such strong, brave words?
Yet you know, as I do, the glasses are to shield me!
Lift them from your eyes, give me one glance
And I’m yours as wholely as the other times.

I’ll wear the glasses!
Hide tears and pain and
The shame of grieving for my own mistake.
Hide those signs and be guessed a fool:
Reveal it all and prove I am.


This time... this time...
There is no this time
Nor ever will be.
I can strain my eyes
Looking for you to reappear,
Till I’m red and blind...
But there’ll be no this time again.

May 2008