I close my eyes

I close my eyes

In mid-sentence

In a busy street

Walking across a beach

The sand soft

Beneath my feet

Sitting at a table

In a cafe

Drinking coffee

I tilt my head

Tuning in to the music

Playing on a radio

In the corner

Hindered by the noise

Of diners and waiters

The clatter of china

The insistent whistle of steam

From the coffee machine

Old songs

From bygone times

Before dreams died

Sleep does not come

It was not called

It is subtle respite

From the jumble

Of images

The chaos of life

When I close my eyes

For just a moment

There is an inversion

A glimpse of oblivion

And I see you

The guardian at the gate

The pacifier

The balance restorer

In an uneven world

A reason for believing

When all that was

Is done

An imprint

Of love will run

All the way through

To the backbeat of my soul

And beyond.