A Message

It’s your birthday,
and your face is up on my computer screen,
shaded by an overscreen that says
“replay” and “send to a friend”.

And all of a sudden, I’m crying again
because I’ve thought of you every minute
for the last several weeks

and I’ve seen your friends
and I’ve seen your relatives
and I’ve seen your picture
and I’ve heard your voice

and it’s just not a substitute.
And one of these days
I’ll get the hell out of here,
skip town
and fly all the way to civilization,
to summer in the land of perpetual
palm trees.

And you know,
I love you.
And I called you at the moment of your birth
Central Standard time, that is –
You didn’t answer.

“This is Jonathan. Leave a message.”
And I can’t help but feel that message
sums up our life, lately.

This is Jonathan: leave a message.