My friend is back
and I'm excited and want to be with him -
throw my arms around him,
feel his closeness,
care for him,
help him in his re-entry.
But he needs to be in his shell
to play solitaire
with his mail and experiences.
He needs a lot of time
to go over his mental souvenirs,
wondering where to put them
in the shelves of his mind.
It's hard to hold back my welcome,
it isn't the time for that for him.
He needs space
to work out his own rhythms.
I have to remain on hold
longer than my patience will give me mileage.

It's hard to accept that he needs
me to wait -
So I wait some more.
Por him, it's not waiting.
He is exhausted and needs to be fallow.
How to get my heart
to stop tapping its feet
and looking at the calendar and wondering when. His re-entry and replenishing can't be rushed The more I can hold back the better
It's hard not to want him to hear
me clearing my throat
but I know that would be offensive.
I wish I could just turn my motor off
so I won't burn so much fuel.
An exercise in control
a spiritual diet.