If you want to see forever
use the rest stop at mile marker 167
On Interstate 90 in South Dakota
Next to the town, Belvidere, population 49
Watch the clouds fill the sky
like a bag of cotton balls
The grassy plain cuts the horizon miles away
You can see the thunderstorm in the east
A curtain of rain
that you will encounter only after traveling for hours
If you want to see forever
sit with a child in front of a Christmas tree
On Dec 23, with presents before you
They already know which ones have their name
Know the sound of what’s inside
hoping it matches their dreams
The stockings still empty on the banister
You can see the anticipation heavy in their eyes
Smile already building
that you secretly know will be beaming Christmas Eve
If you want to see forever
watch a young couple in a restaurant
On their third date
Their gaze never far from each other
Laughter as they share food from the plates
extending their forks across the table
Bites playfully as their eyes lock
You can see how lost they are
In their moment
unaware of the bustle of everyday life around them
If you want to see forever
stop to speak to the gentleman
On the porch of a run-down home
The years worn into his hands
Life drying out his throat
making his memories hard to share
So they pile up behind his lungs, raspy and slow
You can see the effects of life on his shoulders
Once square, now curved,
waiting only for the day of rest
If you want to see forever
breathe in at this moment
On the next exhale
Feel how your heart beats
To the rhythm of your life
created by choices and fate
A paradoxical rule that no one knows
You can see time move through your relationships
Loved ones and enemies
all saying your name
If you want to see forever
open your heart
