Rainy Afternoon

©1999-Richard Carlton

All the debris that’s left of love’s attraction
old happy photographs, a happy song
a ring perhaps,
thoughts that won’t be gone…
the ghosts of our old satisfaction.

And in the dawning of a bright new day,
sometimes it’s good to sweep the past away,
not unremember’d but
still treasured with our old sweet laughter
in a special place set apart.

On some rainy afternoon
every now and then,
we’ll look through our box of souvenirs…
The old dancecard,
the smile we loved the camera kept for us,
no one can blame us if we shed some sudden tears
we all know however brave,
underneath there beats the longing heart.