We’d met at a cafe over coffee.

I swallowed spit, tumbling over my words,

and loosened my tie.

A rose bore its red pedals on the marble table.

Ana’s wide, serene smile calmed my nerves.

One year after then, we finished each other’s sentences.

Ana’s wedding dress slayed men’s hearts of lust.

A cross to bear is the misery of trust,

which I can’t request patience in good faith.

Insecurity had led me to believe

that romance had passed by me

alone among my groups of acquaintances.

What a lie the devil hung over my head!

Life’s blank pages pose memories for the taking.

By Andy Cooper

From: United States

Website: https://drinkcoffeewrite.online

Twitter: AC0040