PDF

You Would Not Find Me


by Darryl Price


and I saw this man mopping a floor. He did 
not look like a monk, and he was smiling at 
something I could not see. You would not find me 
and I was beautiful. You would not find me and 
you closed that memory. I thought that was unfair and 
maybe it was, but when did you decide to shine 
someplace else? You would not find me and the door 
began to swing open. Were you the one who pushed too hard? 
All I know is you would not find me and 

there is significance--what shall I say now?--in the 
only remaining photo of us. You would not find me 
and it's a tough decision to go on. You would 
not find me and I wasn't the only one who held 
a shooting star at arm's length just to prove a  
pretty point. You would not find me and I was 
in love with you. You would not find me and 
the sky was falling. You would not find me and 
it seemed to me like you were stuck in a 

very bad movie. You would not find me and here 
we are, a hundred years ago instead of here now. 
That's where you said we belonged and I believed you 
when you said it. But still you would not find 
me and I fell and lost. Everything else is what 
it looked like to me. You would not find me and the 
whole world died inside. You would not find me and 
I thought maybe it wouldn't really matter. I think I'm 
prepared to deliver the unspoken boom now. You would not find 

me and you can say whatever you want. You would 
not find me and I awoke in the English literature 
department on the floor with my head in my hands. 
You would not find me and the shadow on my 
broken heart is still a blank canvas. You would not find 
me and now I want to say you don't love 
me. You would not find me and I'm going back 
to the beginning without you. You would not find me 
and I sort of had a personal interest in being somewhat 

happy. You would not find me and I admit I 
was a little shaken up by the whole thing. There's a strong wind coming. 
You should go inside. You're never going to find me 
and that's maybe as it should be. You would not find 
me and I see nothing has changed. You would not  
find me and you probably won't find this poem either. 
You would not find me and I meant to carry 
you home. You would not find me and I sit 
here strumming my guitar, waiting for the lost chord's reappearing stranglehold. 



Bonus Poems:   



Just the Person I Was Looking For(What Took You So Long?)

by Darryl Price


It's all dull stuff made fabulous by 
your own poetry or at least some 
poetic sensibility. Truth 
is, you'll be able to see me at 
any time by simply looking through 
the words, but will I see you as well? 
I'd like to think so. Otherwise all 
those crazy lovesick letters I sent 
back to Emily Dickinson won't 
really matter to her. And still I 
believe, like any fool on a fool's 
errand, that there must be a way, a 
deeper connection that doesn't fail 
because of time or space, molecules 
or atoms. And all I want is to 
say hello. And  maybe thanks. You did 
good and it's still happening today.



Weird Noises Coming from Everywhere

by Darryl Price


You're fine. Well you make a beautiful 
difference to me. That's all I want 
to say. Yes there're whale bone figurines 
in the world of men and these things have
a most sorrowful power, but they 
are only vibrations. What you do 
with them will define your character 
in the days ahead. It's always been 
that way. You're fine. You light up the night 
forest as much as any other 

moving creature searching the ground for 
another moment of rest. We meet 
or we don't, but we're never without 
each other's stories. They get told to 
us by our own voices in the wind. 
You can call it by another name, 
but be careful. Some you might not want 
to say out loud. You're fine. Did you think 
there was a place anywhere without 
its dangers to your heart? Even in 

love we must face the trials of living 
with our choices. Will you walk the beam 
in balance because you believe or 
fall because you have no real faith in 
anything you can't see? The road comes 
into the house with all the other 
univited guests. You can't sweep them 
away to the obvious corner, 
but you can always learn to carry 
on. You're fine. Enjoy your night alone.




Happy Thanksgiving (God Bless Us Everyone) by Darryl Price

It's okay
to turn
on your light
if you
can't see.
Endcap