What if
I’d decided to take Buddy
for a hike,
before I’d left?

What if
you’d misplaced your car key?

What if
you hadn’t been there when I arrived?

What if
I hadn’t tumbled into your eyes?

What if
you hadn’t said,
“Yes!”
when I’d asked you if
you’d like to…?

What if
you hadn’t ordered
decaffeinated pomegranate tea?

What if,
when I’d seen the sky-shine in your eyes
dim a bit
when I’d ordered
plain, ordinary, hot chocolate,
I hadn’t,
instantly,
asked for a taste of your
decaffeinated pomegranate tea?

What if
you’d said, “Wellllll,
I don’t know where your lips’ve been!”?

What if,
as you’d trusted me with

your cup to sip,

you hadn’t said,
“Do you realize that
my most favorite thing of everything, is
decaffeinated pomegranate tea?”

What if,
when I’d asked the waiter
to toss my plain, ordinary, hot chocolate
and ordered,
for me,
a Grande’
decaffeinated pomegranate tea,

you hadn’t said,

“You know, I think, very soon,
my most favorite thing of everything

isn’t

going to be
decaffeinated pomegranate tea?

What if,

after

when we knew where our lips’d been,
you hadn’t wanted them
to be there
any more?

What if
I hadn’t
asked you, the
instant
I knew?

What if
you’d answered anything else but
“Yes.”?

What if
we knew how sad it would be
that
any
part
of everything
that has happened,
hadn’t?

“Sorry, honey.
I didn’t hear you.
Our grandson is singing to me.”

” I asked if
you’d like me
to make us,
decaffeinated pomegranate tea?”

“Oh!
Thank you!

(my memories start singing to my heart!)

Yes.”