Chimes at Midnight
This must happen to anyone who lives
a long time, looking back across the years
and decades to the days when we were young
and the world stretched out before us
like an endless highway or an ocean
we would never reach the other side.
But now we hear the chimes at midnight
as I lie beside you with my mind too full
of our mortality, and my heart breaking
at the memory of the times I failed you,
treated you unkindly, made so many
selfish choices that I can’t undo.
My life’s companion, truest friend,
it’s no cliché to say that you deserved
far better than you got while I got
more than I deserved. You’ll disagree,
but that’s because I really did
get more than I ever deserved.
And though I still can’t make myself believe,
I think I finally understand why
people want to think there really is
a heaven. As our lives draw ever closer
to their end, I can’t avoid my sadness
at the thought of all eternity without you.
*
W. D. Ehrhart’s newest collection of poetry is Smart Fish Don’t Bite (Moonstone Arts, 2025). His 5th essay collection, Getting Shot At, was published in May by McFarland.
Beautiful.
Moving, beautiful, true. Thank you.
Very touching – I hope there is a heaven for you two.
So touching – I hope there is a heaven for you two.