The joke went on for months after you left
at home I found you playing chess
your girl staring at me through the glass
or perhaps her own reflection
a crystal ball into her future
outside the warmth of your knowledge
your family.
Take your son and be happy.
Someday I might think this joke is funny.
When you are laughing and playing
with the next one
remember the beautiful one, the lonely one
the quiet one.
The one who silently walked away
without a mention
of all those wasted years
or what might have been.