I’ve hoped to honor you directly.

[joel]

I’ve hoped to honor you directly. You
were never timid; I was hardly shy—
so why do we so vastly underwhelm
together? Maybe we’re too full alone
to share in conversation; we were made
for sweet soliloquies, mere monologues.
I’ve sought to honor you with work and wit—
but dullard laziness you’ve loved and fit
yourself so well with meager analogs
of wisdom. Maybe egoism laid
our ruin: we’ve loved corners wherein shone
our grandeurs pedestalled. I overwhelm
you maybe—you too maybe me. The sky
hangs sun and moon, yet makes their heaven two.