BZ Niditch- Two Poems

A SCHOOL DAY'S MATE

No loss in a voyage
across the pond
in these sun-script
reciprocal letters
of your childhood friend
who has exiled himself
away unexpectedly,
who now may be feeling
like any Caliban
who avoided death
in so many savage situations
yet I'm being overwhelmed
here on the rocks
of this chilling ocean
my mind racing
between continents
when we sprinted
along the dark cold sea
in regattas
on the expanse of beaches
harboring home memories
when reaching
this narrowing waterfront,
throwing pebbles
to the motionless shore,
wanting to recover
our past adolescence
wanting again
to be spontaneous
with a bright
school day's mate
who envisions
our vagary of life's reunion
by early Spring,
yet covering time
from unthinkable
unlocked distances
in countless encounters
with our orange sailboat
that we try to repair
you name"The Poet"
after going underwater
swimming cautiously
in the language
of these shining waves.



ON PLAYING THE FIELD

You courted her
in a bruised heat
during that airless
long stormy summer
swaying in shadows
over a sunshine dawn
with many back handed
sides of a racquet ball,
from the first early
serve in the morning
of rotten regrets
to the last play
of more than words,
she was an opponent
without a match
in her profession
for a good sport
like yourself,
when we circled
our foreign bodies
in fiery pursuit on grounds
and it was only another
naked pick up of chance
when the last stroke
of the semi final
she aims too low
and almost hits me
in a private place
away from her eye
when we realize
the greater
last set point
of our  painful exploits
has nothing
worth being off the charts
and we put an end
to our mating game.