Had I But Known..a poem about a remembered friend

"Had I But Known" is a poem written about a friend of mine who left this plane of existence far, far too soon, two years ago. We worked together in television, but both moved away with our respective families in the ensuing years. Lo and behold, we discovered that we had moved to the same community and our families bonded. The friendship is one I treasured, and I still treasure, as well as the continuing best friend relationship our daughters still enjoy with each other.

Recently a new on-line poetry magazine called, "Eye on Life--Poetry Unlocked" launched and along with it was the launching and first run of "Had I But Known" which follows.

Had I But Known


Had I but known it was the last time I’d see you
I’d have arranged a coffee time big and bold on the calendar
Marking the event as a singular and tangible reality

Had I but known that your future would be a short trip down the timeline
I’d have asked you to tell me more about your past, and I’d have listened raptly
Imprinting every fact, every event, honoring your matchless journey

Had I but known how significant that last trivial conversation really was
I’d have recorded every word, every nuance, every implied punctuation mark
For later review during bittersweet times of reflection and painful consideration

Had I but known that I would have more that I wanted to hear from you,
That I had more I wanted to say to you about our shared history,
I’d have cautioned you, bargained with fate, searched for a profound statement
That would have told everything, but changed nothing.
Had I But Known.