Riding past the old strip
just before Halloween
it was like I’d seen a ghost:
pale white and beautiful
your blood red lipstick
a scar across your mouth
your shock of gold
ringlets cascading upon your dark high collar
I spied you from a distance.
You didn’t see me.

I recognized you immediately
though you looked nothing like you did:
all in tattered black
some priestess to the gods of goth
I thought you’d forsworn
just as I had forsworn you.
You hadn’t crossed my mind
in years
and then
there you were
crossing my path
like some familiar of the night
cursing me
with your glory.

God,
you looked so good.
I couldn’t say anything to you then, Em.
It was too soon
and I was too afraid
but that was years ago now
and I still troll the strip
in hopes of spotting you again.
It’s coming up on Halloween.
Will you be back?
Please be back.