since that summer day
God, how I loved her then
at a park
in the coolness
of a lake,
we swam
she stepped on a dollar bill
brought it to the surface
between her toes
and for some inexplicable reason
I found that particularly endearing
when it had dried
I tucked it away
in my wallet, kept it
everything has changed
since then
she is married now
and happy
probably never thinks of me.
Matthew Longerbeam is a native of Maryland. He was a victim of violent crime in the 1990s and has spent most of his adult life in recovery. Matthew is currently working on a degree in Human Services at HCC and lives in Williamsport, Md with his wife Tabby and his cat Hobo.