Black Ice
You taught me the proper technique
how to keep my distance
in the blinding snow
and not place faith
in the strength of the brake.
You cautioned
that the ice is always
smooth and slick
as a used car salesman’s tongue
remember
take nothing for granted
(the feel of your hand
on mine).
Now
we hardly ever speak to each other
except for the occasional hello
or goodbye
as somewhere along the way
we’ve spun out of control
lost that center of gravity
that held us together
and kept us grounded
in each other’s love.
But father
sometimes
on the long journey home
when the road is iced
with yesterday’s tears
and there’s no going back
to that point of departure
my heart still aches
for the touch of your hand
long after we have both
let go.
~ Jeevan Bhagwat
Jeevan Bhagwat’s work has appeared in many literary magazines including Green’s Magazine, (EX)CITE, The Amethyst Review, and Afterthoughts. In 2003 and 2005, Bhagwat was awarded the Monica Ladell Award for Poetry by the Scarborough Arts Council.
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