Echoes Poem by Andrew Herrera

Do you remember the dry winter
nights we spent in my car?
Our seats pushed back, searching
the stars for a common goal
of acceptance from others.
Our breath stank of
whiskey and Coke
as we dreamed of a purple sky
and clouds of dry oats,
leaving behind the worries
of our normal life.

Together we dipped out feet
in the pond of perfection,
never quite reaching the bottom
which was sure to be
our garden of sugar
in various confections.
Rotting teeth and sour stomachs
are sure to be the morals
of this dreamlike parable
that echoes in our
whiskey drenched minds,
never letting us forget our
most severe of sins.

And now these nights have
tapered away into our past,
flying into a part of our world
that is better left unsaid.
But we cannot ignore it.
We can’t let it
slip into the very last
layer of our memory so –
Do you remember?
Or do you go through these
nights dreamless and alone
and cold without anyone to
hold you, to tell you it’s gonna
be alright my dear?