I don’t know why I had the thought,
what I heard or saw or … what triggered it.
These thoughts just happen—pop up,
flutter out of our unconscious like
loose confetti notes to confront us,
remind us—perhaps help us if we indulge.
I thought, “I used to sing in the shower.”
Huh, when did I stop? It was a very long
time ago. I liked singing in the shower.
It felt good! So why did I stop? I felt
a sense of loss. What changed … in me?
It was so long ago. “What songs did I sing?”
It took awhile. Then I remembered “Billy Boy.”
It was one of my favorites. My mother sang it
to me when I was a little boy. It had gathered
dust somewhere in my brain but I found it.
“Oh where have you been Billy Boy, Billy Boy,
oh where have you been, charming Billy?”
Yes, where have you been, Billy Boy?
I’ve missed you.