Book 01 Chapter 02

“Joe’s Stories”

Tell me a story Joe
Of your afternoon in the rain
The flash of the lightening
The clap of the thunder
How the cold soaked your bones
How the pain in your chest ached
Of the name on your lips
Of the hole in your heart
Tell me you can’t remember the shape of her face

Tell me a story Joe
Of the day he breathed his last breath
How you were twelve hundred miles away
How you couldn’t stop the tears
And when you finally caught a plane
And when you finally saw his grave
You said you were sorry
You wished you’d said goodbye
Tell me you can’t remember your last day together

Tell me a story Joe
Of the depths of your sorrow
Staring into the void
Staring into the face of madness
The dark pit at the edge of the precipice
The pitch black the center of your soul
And the cold that froze your heart
And the fear that crippled you
Tell me you don’t remember what made you sad in the first place

Tell me a story Joe
Of the foreign wars you fought
In the scorching desert heat
In the freezing winter slurries
How many lives you had to take
How many secrets you still keep
Count the scars as prizes
Count the dead as the lucky ones
Tell me you can’t remember a night of pleasant dreams

Tell me a story Joe
Of the baby she lost
She dismissed superstition
She repainted the walls
We spent months waiting for the good news
We spent weeks waiting for the right time to call
Whisper that she held her still born in her arms
Whisper that she keeps a picture close
Tell me you can’t remember what life was like before

Tell me a story Joe
Of the love of your life
Did your skin tingle when you touched
Did you love the way they smiled just for you
What color were their eyes
What flavor were their kisses
Will every one who comes next be compared to them
Will every lover who calls your name have their voice
Tell me you can’t remember the rhythm of their breathing at night

Tell me a story Joe
Of the chances you never took
All the doors you never opened
All the phone calls you never returned
You could have been a painter
You could have been an architect
But the time was never right
But life got in the way
Tell me you can’t remember what you wanted to be when you grew up

Tell me a story Joe
Of the friends that you lost touch with
She moved away for college
She change her phone number
He never responds to your e-mails
He found God and a new family
You always mean to write that letter
You always forget the birthdays
Tell me you can’t remember their last names

Tell me a story Joe
Of the late nights with friends
The innumerable cigarettes smoked
The innumerable hours gone forever
All the sleep you didn’t miss
All the whiskey you didn’t mind paying for
No one seemed to be in a hurry
No one had anywhere to be in the morning
Tell you can’t remember what you talked about

Tell me a story Joe
Of the years we spent together
Name the children we will never have
Name the cities we won’t see together
Imagine the milestones we will never reach
Imagine the nights we can’t have again
Know my scent will fade form you sheets
Know your voice will fade from my memories
Tell me you can’t remember what I felt like in your arms

Tell me the truth Joe
Was it worth it in the end
Could we really stay together
Could I find another lover
Did you imagine it would end
Did you think it would be this way
Were we lying to ourselves
Were we too quick to judge
The truth is, I can’t remember