Have You Ever Wondered?

Have you ever wondered what it is like
to listen
for the sound of a car turning in,
for the sound of a door slamming shut,
for the sound of a key opening a lock,
for months on end?

Have you ever wondered how it feels
to wait,
night after night,
day after day
for these things,
and they never happen?

Have you ever wondered about the changes
that take place
after listening,
and waiting,
and hoping,
and loving,
for so long without anything happening?

Do you think that love changes
with time,
and circumstances,
with loneliness
and emptiness.
Do you think a part of it dies?
I do.

Copyright September 1979
Fran Watson