7 years

it was so strangely familiar,
he was so familiarly strange
(I smiled)

and yet, there's things he didn't do
seven years ago;
he's taken up dancing
--I stayed at the table to keep our seats
as he pushed through the crowd to the front row
for the next act
(one of his favourites, I remembered)
occasionally I saw a flash of his head
nodding and wobbling to the beat

he drank beer
-- Never more than one at a time, he said
(that night he had two)

the bands were ok
though I must admit,
I like them better on record

but it's not the music that made the most of it
it was him
I've missed him
I knew that, I've noticed that
I've accepted that
but of course,
it's easier to feel
when he's really there

he doesn't smoke, still
and we still have common interests

I'm beyond words to describe
how glad I am here's there
just there,
I don't ask for more