So we lie to ourselves
      of what truly keeps us apart:
"I have not seen him for years."
"So much time has passed—
      we would be so different now."
"I would not know what to say."
"I would not know how to begin again."

Only three things separate us: physical distance,
      attention,
            and Belief.
Of these three,
Belief is the only blinder,
      the one creator of immutable Distance
            the sole intercalator of impassable, implacable Time.

If each moment since and now
      were as much a gift to each of us
            as that first moment we, newly together, knew
We would conquer Space
      welcome the sight, sound, and touch of each other in Joy
            and open the mutual Gift of the telling of our
                  unshared years
Together

But we have not learned to mature our Sorrow to Mourning
And as the difference between Sorrow and Mourning
Is the difference between Truce and Peace
So are we separated
By the opposite
Of Gladness.