[stylist] Poem - "Regret" - Second Draft

[William L Houts]

HI Gang,

Here's a poem I wrote just today.  This one's mostly a non-rhymer, and 
doesn't depend much upon the more obviously literary devices for its 
effects.  It's in its second draft, as the first one, while similar, was 
a little fuzzy in certain ways;  this one pretty much gets where I 
wanted to go.

--Bill


---

You're at a party, many guests.

You've chatted a while, traded jokes

and now you've found a chair,

one of those great spongey thrones,

in which to nosh:pickles, chips.

Theparty noise rises, falls:

an even, agreeable buzz.

You listen, chew, abide.

Then, like sudden summer rain

a boy bursts from the gathered talkers

and races to greet you

with dark shining eyes,

like those of some small summer jay,

borne on breezes

you know again now,

as if the earth itself

burst into joy

of wings by the thousands.

With Lustrous black hair

and laughing

like Superman's son

he bounds away,

and returnslike summer

or some prince of elves,

only more handsome.

Then he's gone,

called away by his mother

perhaps to buy shoes,

or to visit the dentist,

or to give his small graces

to another party:

laughing, laughing.

And for years ever after,

you will ask yourself:

why didn't I ruffle his hair?