Heads Was My Heart

As I flipped the coin
and watched it fly
sparkling,
glinting,
catching the light
as over and over
it turned,
I thought of my ante
in this game of chance,
where heads was love
and I'd stay with you;
tails was tears,
'cause our love fell thru,
and I wished it'd never come down.

But down it came,
with terrible speed,
to crash on the floor,
bounce up and down,
twirl and turn,
roll in a wobbly
curving way,
then finally settle down.

I looked at it through
tightly squinted eyes,
afraid it would say
to say my goodbyes,
but finally I looked
my god, it was heads…
yes it was heads,
because I love you,
heads was my heart,
and on the other side too.

w. james beard, jr.