Farewell Adored One

Today I had a discerning discovery at  the public pools here which are opened for the summer. I frequently sun and swim at the pool in our neighborhood, hiding my eyes behind sunglasses while appreciating the lovely young male scenery. Today I made a sad observation. One of my favorite young men has gone over the hill, so to speak. He has been a presence at the pool for many years, beginning as a little kid, changing from childhood into pre-pubertal boyhood and then into the brief years of beautiful young adolescence, gloriously fit and tan, unmistakably aware of himself in a way that he never was before.


He was back today, inaugurating the pool season with scores of other kids and families. Sadly, though, nature's taken him over the hump. He hasn't controlled his weight, for one thing. He's beefy. His belly has a roll of unbecoming flab hanging over the waistband of his trunks. His voice is a little too commanding, a little too deep. And to top it off, he's got a suspicious shadow on his upper lip.

You were so handsome just after puberty, my friend, so beautiful in your seasons of discovery. Fortunately there's a new crop of guys coming up behind you. I wish you well. You've made a giant leap this past year and clearly left the past behind. How quickly it happened. Oh, I'll still encounter you at the pool, but the moment of perfection has slid out of grasp. You never knew how your youthful beauty blessed me, and suddenly that brief hypnotic post-pubertal handsomeness is gone.

Anonymous in Shades