Inn by the Sea

By Damiana Andonova

For all of us have friends and lovers and lovers we cannot forget

And lest our memory fades or falters

This poem is for all of you

At the inn by the sea

By the boats and benches

With the bellman in the driveway

And blue tea cups for two

And a glowing fireplace, too

Two young lovers arrive with the moonlight

And bashfully request a place to stay

Their eyes are shy and hungry

Their smiles curious and wild

Will she lose herself, her mind?

Is this the one or the mistake?

They wonder

But how those fears fade

When belts come undone

And polka dot sundresses fall to the ground

And the softness of skin and crisp sheets silences their minds

So they can hear the beat of one another’s heart

Alas she is asleep and he leaves to join the night watch for a smoke

There are tears in the morning

And soon, they part

And no one would know anything at all

For the bellmen age

And cigarette butts ride rivers to sewers

And the boats and benches don’t say what they see

But never trust a maid to turn a bed

That is where bus tickets, love notes, and promises hide

Wedged between the bed beams

That’s how lovers travel back in time

And remember