It wasn’t
Until many years
Later
How I realized
You meant
Every word

Each gesture
Wave
And confession
In the hands
Which spoke
As they shook

While you emoted
Loud
On their stage
For approval
If not
Reassurance

From the ones
Who’d never
Accept you
Even after
I told
They would

Acting
Like someone
May care
When your daily
Speech
Met with laughter

For the ears
Then straining
To listen
At a genius
Not knowing
They should

Like mine
Now admitting
This sin
For a friend
Whose place
Is conviction

Understood
As hope
For the kindness
Lost only
To hearts
Without faith

To remind me
God is not
Vain
When belief
Is a certain
Affliction

Like appearing
Weak
Or unsettled
To an audience
Begging
We stop

Judging
These roles
That we play
As childish
Games
Of forgiveness

For the ways
We seek
Our fulfillment
Through a wish
Of such fantasy
Made

And our failures
Young
But inane
As this chance
Which brought us
Together

Letting you
Know
I appreciate
That fact
How you always
Were there.

– J. Pigno