NEARLY THERE

(c) Williams 2006

i'm stealing moments to think of
a boy i never knew
his arms outstretched against the summer skies
dirt knees and an old bike
and a nearly there smile

between the sleeping and the waking
a second when i see his eyes
like sepia or faded colour polaroids
a world stretched out before him
in an album of nearly there times

times when no one can fault him
they don't know what it's like
to be the boy on the nearly there bike
to be the boy with the nearly there life

breaking pictures into pieces
and pieces into sand
the dig for gold goes deeper
into the river bank
the river bed

collating histories for you
- and then she said
- remember when
- you laughed the afternoon away
- the time we had to leave the nectarines unbottled
they melted back into the ground
nearly there, nearly there

and no one can fault you
when they don't know what it's like
to be the boy with the nearly there
to be the boy
nearly there

wrapping all of your collectibles
in cotton wool and tears
your arms stretched thin against the summer skies
small hands and an old bike
and nearly there eyes