Telephone

Photo: Javier Haro / Unsplash

(hello?

hey

(hi!

I wasn’t sure if this is still your number

(I won’t change it

sorry if I woke you

(were you dreaming

no.. I wasn’t sleeping

(how’ve you been?

how. how could i even

(it’s been a minute

it’s been a long time.

(you’re traveling?

what

(it sounds like you’re traveling

are you spying on me I just got off a plane

(you just sound like you’re not at home

it was dark when I landed and now I’m in a hotel room that’s dark

(all of which sounds ideal for sleeping. you packed a book

my kindle has about sixty-two books.. it’s nice to hear your voice

(same.. do you want to talk?

I guess so. what time zone are you even in

(I’m ahead of you or behind

mountains?

(yes

here too. I’ll see them in the morning

(are you tired? you’ve met someone?

how many questions is that?

(you called to talk

yes. no

(I’m all ears

I’ve been back in montana. for awhile now

(not tonight

not tonight

(is that what’s on your mind

I’m in salt lake city. it’s still home

(we were happy there hun

we were happy in all the places

(wherever we went, pretty much

maybe that’s why I thought about calling, I still think of here as home

(are you doing hr stuff in montana 

yes. I’m back in glacier

( . . . .

yep

(tell me all of the things

it’s just like you remember. everything. it’s the same. it’s—

(gunsight pass?

still haven’t hiked it.

(wat?!

I still.. everything is the same. it’s not the same

(siyeh?

every chance I get

(polebridge

just like we used to

(I miss those bear claws..

every chance I get

(what do you miss?

all kinds a things. your coffee.

(my camp coffee? that we brewed on your tailgate

magic

(wait.. are you on your way to the canyons, what month is this?

naw, they sent me here for an hr conference. it’s july silly. I was able to spend a few weeks in april, though, it was a good trip

(those april nights were cold!

this trip was about the same. probly colder. I needed all your blankets

(there’s other ways of keeping warm

yeah. just me

(new canyons?

yes but in fact I went back to that section of ******** canyon we hiked and I tweaked my knee climbing out

(what happened

I hyperextended or pulled something I dunno

(and you didn’t get it looked at

no it’s never painful, it just doesn’t feel right

(it feels messed up

it’s been like three months so yeah it probly is messed up it just doesn’t hurt

(I am glad we explored that canyon

it was like I remembered. the parts we hiked. it wasn’t really

(but I’m sorry about your knee

I’m getting older—I’ve been feeling it lately, all of a sudden

(you should still maybe get it looked at

I never felt my age—now I do

(those feelings were always there—for you, not for me

you are such a strong hiker though

(you always felt that way when we were in the mountains—I had a hard time keeping up with you in the canyons

I try to make the coffee and just can’t 

(they’re still your home

they’ll always be

(I don’t think I had even seen your smile until that first time in utah when we were driving separate through the snow and you following me the whole way to make sure I got to salt lake city safe and it was funny how I could tell pulled off to get gas we were in utah just by your smile

that’s all I did in those days was smile!

(you were happy hun

happiness not even a time machine..

(we were happy and there was time

that not even time

(but I know those feelings still

even now

(even now

what end was any of it candleless and brief that not even time and what if there had been what if we’d had kids what was any of it that I tried hanging on to what was any of it for for me to have or hold

(those are questions I don’t understand either

whole nights of sleeping I’ve lost to them

(memories are what I have. I wish I had answers to go with them

if you were lying here I wouldn’t even ask you for answers I would just sleep

(I don’t really think that’s what you’d do

I’m the same nothing’s the same

(I wish I was there beside you.

here is home you’d still like it here

(I still do

sleep tight my love

(you sleep too

goodnight

(goodnight.