Bill Blankenship’s most recent poem to appear here was “Meeting” (April 2019).

Time Gone
By Bill Blankenship

Just like that, from out of the clear blue,
He received a call from a woman—a friend he once knew
Suddenly he was dealing with palpitations, sweaty palms and memories—sweet memories
He was at a loss for words
to someone who—someone to whom he once could talk—converse with for hours on end
Now he was at a loss for words from the shock of hearing from his long lost friend
Different direction had they gone
Each singing a different song—blues
Mostly blues was what they were each recently into
And sunsets—for age had stripped each from their youth
Morning and noon had past—gone now
So sitting at eventide when trumpet like flowers bloom
Each in their own world
lost in reminiscing in some somber mood
Time—time does not slow down—it waits for no one
There is no real way to catch up once time has gone
And it had surely gone