Shadows of Waves by Gary Glauber

Shadows of Waves

She steals away, careless, confused,

drawn to the compromise of sad stability,

leaving him remnants of a long, tawdry dream.

So he floats, pondering what should have been,

swimming against social currents

of unfair advantage doled out at birth.

It was a lifelong pursuit, a false confidence

revealed as insufficient: a handsome face,

an armoire stocked with beautiful shirts,

calling cards of wealth and respect.

Now there are only empty clock hands,

hours spent waiting for calls that won’t come.

A sweet few weeks of secret ardor,

the rustle of silk and lace,

shared laughter, opportunities seized. 

It all seemed a good idea,

as if past could be recaptured

in a seismic flurry of heartbeats quickened.

Instead the sudden death of all once held dear,

vanished overnight and irrecoverable.

He dreams yet of her face,

the alluring lilt of her musical voice,

forever relegated to memory.

His exotic tales no longer matter,

their fascination fades into irrelevancy,

and this ultimate failure

is anything but great.

Gary Glauber is a poet, fiction writer, teacher, and former music journalist.  His works have received multiple Pushcart Prize and Best of the Net nominations.

His two collections,Small Consolations (Aldrich Press) andWorth the Candle (Five Oaks Press), and a chapbook, Memory Marries Desire(Finishing Line Press), 

are available through Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and directly from the publishers.