Half a Year

Half a year to be absent from the shores of my true life

was harder than I thought it could be;

harder than it ought to be, to step back into my old life.

Half a year wrapped in the cold throes of old obligations;

creating the endings I sought,

shaping forever-links to friends and memories.

Half a year to lay the old to satisfactory rest;

           the past is settled, the future is open

Lilies at the edge of the jungle.

Notes – I wrote this after spending 6 months in Rochester away from Dennis and Max in Belize while tying up my career at Mayo.  It was much more stressful than I had anticipated it would be, even though I visited Belize twice during that time.