Rift

From the pen of Beano Niblock a poem about a parting of the ways.

One day he was there
The next we were gone
Not far-
a street or two
But miles apart
The hurt was more a numbness that slowly settled in
Rooted
Taking sides was easy
It’s what children do
-or so they say
Each day
became easier
In some ways
you learn to hate
Before long it’s too late
to change
The gap gets wider.
Unbridgeable.

And you don’t even try.
Years later I closed that rift-
-to a degree
On a bleak November day
I shook his hand
across a narrow table
and we
agreed to differ
A fortnight later
he was gone-
-again.
For good this time.
Beano 

Beano Niblock lives and works in East Belfast. He writes drama, short stories poetry and prose. 

1 comment:

  1. Excellent poem. Direct, yet moody and atmospheric.

    "The hurt was more a numbness that slowly settled in" is such a potent line when describing friendships that ends, either abruptly or over a passage of time.

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