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.

[ShadesofV]

This is a quietly devastating and beautifully restrained poem. An elegy for connection that almost was, and perhaps could never be.

The imagery throughout feels vast and timeless: sea, horizon, tide, anchors, waves, yet it’s grounded in the intimacy of two souls briefly touching across that expanse. The poem carries a calm rhythm, mirroring the ebb and flow of the sea, and that restraint makes the heartbreak feel even more poignant.

Lines like “we traveled years in that single, sunlit hour” and “before the next wave erased us” capture the fleeting nature of human connection...how something momentary can feel eternal, then vanish into inevitability. The “map of where we should have been” is such a haunting phrase; it suggests love not as a destination reached, but as a missed alignment of stars and tides.

Stylistically, the simplicity of the language works in its favor, the tone is contemplative, melancholic, yet serene. It’s a poem of quiet recognition, where acceptance and sorrow coexist.

[RomaJ]

Thank you so much for this beautiful reflection. 'That quiet intersection of longing and acceptance, and how something brief can still feel vast.' I really appreciate how thoughtfully you read it.

[Jansy]

I can even see it as two people 'waving at eachother from a distance ' this poem is very poignant and unforgettable. I'll probably still be thinking about this later. You're breaking my heart, woman. It's beautifully penned

[RomaJ]

That image of two people waving at each other from a distance is such a perfect way to see it. Your kind words made me smile. Thank you.

[Jansy]

This is just tragic. When you meet the right person at the wrong time. That's just how I feel reading this poem... The cruelest part is the absolute certainty of that brief moment. They 'traveled years in that single, sunlit hour,' and in the sharp clarity of their collision, they saw the full, beautiful future they should have had. It’s not just a missed connection; it’s a fully realized possibility that was immediately snatched away by the incoming tide, leaving only the memory of what wasn't to be.

[RomaJ]

Thank you, Jansy, you captured the heart of the poem so beautifully. That sense of right person, wrong time was exactly what I hoped to convey. It’s bittersweet how something so fleeting can feel infinite for a moment. I’m really touched by your insight and the way you felt the poem.

[Jansy]

You captured my heart

[Soren]

I loved the metaphor of waves that are temporary in their eventual breaking but travel long distances in their journey. The meeting of waves interrupts them either destroying the two or merging to make a greater one. This poem is soft and lovely in its telling. Loved it

[RomaJ]

Thank you so much, Soren. I really appreciate your thoughtful reading. I love how you described the waves’ meeting, that balance between creation and destruction. I’m glad the softness of the piece came through to you.

[Soren]

You are most welcome