If You Were In Cairo

If you were in Cairo, and I in Kampala;
if you took to Phoenix, and I to Havana;
if you sojourned in Saigon, and I in Phnom Penh
even that short distance would deeply offend.
And seeing as how I’d want to stay close to you,
I’d find every which way to stay in touch with you.

If you moved to Tuvalu, to live or to work,
And email was stalled and the phones didn’t work.
I’d train clever pigeons to soar up above,
to faithfully reach you with my missives of love.

I’d vouchsafe a letter with a monk in a monastery.
I’d entrust my love note to an Amazon missionary.
I’d hire a Sherpa to mountain climb after you
on Everest, on Lhotse, Nanga Parbat or K2…

I would do anything to keep myself close to you.
I’d learn Swahili, Hindi, and even Urdu.
No hurdle of language I’d have to confront,
could ever deter my untiring want.

You can travel as far and as long as you like
by plane, train, or boat, by car or by bike.
I’d find a way, some way, to reach out to you,
I’d even use snail mail if I absolutely had to.

If you flew supersonically out into the blue,
I’d radio the pilot to tell you I love you.
If you pined for space travel and lived in the shuttle,
and our back and forth was a quite public muddle,
and officials below and your crewmates above
had all grown quite tired of such raging, unending, fulsome, embarrassing love,

no matter the trouble I’d have surely incurred,
I’d carry on calling, could not be deterred by
pleading from NASA, complaints or protests,
they’d have to come get me, put me under arrest.

If not-talking was something that you took a vow for,
I’d read to you, sing to you, whatever you’d need me to.
I’d learn to lip read and learn to sign too
There’s really no end to what I would do.

I’d follow you through darkness.
I’d follow you through rain.
My daily attention might drive you insane.

Have I made my point clear? You have nothing to fear
I’m resourceful enough to keep loving you.

So great is my love, I am indefatigable .
When it comes to you, love,
I can’t stop loving you!