Cobblestone and thatched roofs

the cobblestone
and thatch of roofs
told me you were there
I went inside
the watering hole
and sat, and stared

beyond there lay
a riverbank
and a running brook
and, game as Hell
I checked my watch
and the time I took

to get from here
to over there
and past the nook
to places ventured
ne’er before –
I stopped to look

at horizon over yonder
I stopped to think
whilst sitting on a park bench
my eyes would blink

a sign of high intelligence
(or so I thought)

but being in a place like this –
all I could do was feel –
if only I had brought
you years ago –
when love danced
on our parade –

is it ever too late
to say I love you –
and escape?