two waves

one afternoon, beneath a blank, indifferent sky,
i set sail a vessel of quiet hope--
upon the restless sea of might-have-beens.

and you, from a distant, shimmering horizon,
came too, on a similar, desperate heading--
a ghost ship seeking a port it couldn’t name.

long and lonely arcs were drawn between us,
traced by the hands of desire,
who used the salt tears of older voyages
as ink for impossible maps.

we traveled years in that single, sunlit hour,
the wind swelling sails
already threadbare with waiting.

and when at last we collided
on a shore of fractured glass--
the tide pulled back to reveal our anchors,
heavy with the rust of forgotten promises.

in that brief, sharp moment,
before the next wave erased us,
we saw the star-charts in each other’s eyes--
the map of where we should have been.

then the sea rushed in again,
and we were simply
two separate waves,
breaking.

Reviews

[jacob erin-cilberto]

fantastic wording and reminds me of an old love from back in High School..someone I spoke with 20 years later and we agreed that if we had stayed together back then, we would have gotten married and still been on those same waves together.
Those are nice thoughts for me even though things turned to a different port in the end.
j.

[RomaJ]

Thank you so much, j.! I love that memory you shared. It’s wonderful that you reconnected and could reflect on it fondly. Even when life takes us to a different port, it’s lovely to hold onto those moments and the feelings they stirred.
There’s a kind of gentle closure in being able to look back with warmth.

[Buddhistboy73]

You take the reader with you on a journey here...

two people sailing on life's unpredictable and uncharted waters....seeking something deeper .

I liked this poem and the way it evokes images of the sea and also of human connections....

Thanks for sharing

BB73

[RomaJ]

Thank you so much, BB73. I’m glad the journey resonated with you. I’ve always felt the sea mirrors our hearts.. its unpredictable tides, the currents we cannot always control, and the moments of connection that feel both fleeting and infinite.
Your thoughts is much appreciated,
..Roma

[Kenneth The Poet]

Reminds me of the film Before Sunrise...beautiful, even though the connection between them was brief.

[RomaJ]

Thank you! I’ve actually never watched Before Sunrise, but I love hearing that the poem reminded you of it. I’m glad it captured that feeling of a brief, beautiful connection

[Kenneth The Poet]

Give that film a watch if you can. It's one of the best romantic films I've ever seen.

[Zoe Richardson]

Sigh. This is so lovely. And so nautical. I am partial to poems with nautical themes. Your use of imagery to express the loss of love really hits you in all the feels!

[RomaJ]

Aww, thank you so much, Zoe! I love nautical themes too. I just love the sea..the ocean carries so much emotion and longing. Sometimes I hope their currents might collide again, but some things are just forever lost to the sea. I really appreciate your kind words

[Carrie]

Nice. Comparing lost lovers to ships seeking a port it couldn't name.

[RomaJ]

Thank you, Carrie! I’m glad that imagery resonated with you. That’s exactly the feeling I was trying to capture...fleeting connections and the longing that lingers.

[Carrie]

Yes you expressed that emotion well.

[Vol]

Roma,
Sometimes it is okay to be speechless... Beauty does that.. I love this, all of it, every word, every image...
Vol

[RomaJ]

Thank you, Vol! I completely agree. Beauty so stunning really does have that effect, can leave us speechless, and all we can do is just smile.

[Neville]

this is superb Roma .. so full of salty metaphors .. for a moment, I thought I could almost taste the sea .. until I realised both my eyes had squeezed out a tear .. write on dear poet .. Neville

[RomaJ]

Neville! Your words really touch me. I’m glad the poem brought the sea to life for you, even if it made you tear up a little. That means a lot. Thank you for reading and your kind review.

[Neville]

You are most welcome, my pleasure entirely .. Neville 😎👍

[red93]

This is really Fabulous Roma, you are indeed a genuine talent. You are talking to the right person when you talk to someone from Bristol UK about Ghost Ships - at night, by the Bristol Old Harbour, you can hear their timbers creaking in the wind. Exceptional ✨️✨️✨️✨️✨️

[RomaJ]

Thank you so much, Red! I appreciate your kind words. That’s amazing to hear about the Bristol Old Harbour and its ghost ships. I can only imagine the history of that site and all the stories and poetry it inspires. It sounds both beautiful and haunting. Thanks for sharing that.

[red93]

✨️✨️✨️✨️✨️

[Stella Armour]

What a lovely , imaginative poet you are Roma.

The imagery here and wording is exquisite.

Stella

[RomaJ]

Thank you so much, Stella! I’m really glad the imagery resonated with you. Your words mean a lot to me.

[Stella Armour]

for me imagery is everything Roma, you have a lovely way of bringing them forth with your words.

[RomaJ]

Thank you so much. Some of my poems are inspired by dreams I’ve had, and sometimes I just want to share those visions and convey them through words. So I really appreciate you saying that. I also truly admire the way you bring imagery to life in your own work.

[John the Baptist]

Beautiful and unique imagery is featured in this melancholy tale of what might have been. It is hard to look back on what once inspired hope and know it will never be. But this is just another lesson, a direction sign that can be fruitfully employed.

[RomaJ]

Thank you so much, John. I really appreciate your thoughtful reading and perspective. I love how you framed it as a lesson and a sign. It adds a layer of hope to the melancholy. I appreciate your kind review.