We Shall Remain by John Swofford

i don’t know you, friend
can we be friends?
are we alone, now,
after all this time,
and permitted, morally,
to love each other?
i don’t know what happened
to us; i kept your voice
safe with me, in my head,
projecting your voice,
instead of mine,
when reading a book.
it’s difficult to do that
for long—i do it with
fits and starts,
as i try to address you,
and the idea of your love
where are you, then?
this is spooky action
at a distance
when they go low
we go high,
if you’re spin up,
then i’m spin down,