old friend

he is gay but just “can’t be in that lifestyle”

“I just can’t be in that lifestyle…” he said.

the other night,
i had a conversation with an older friend i haven’t heard from in years.
he was actually the first male i came out to when i figured out who i was.
it was right after my mother’s death and we attended the same church.
during that time,
he admitted to me that he has had sex with males but “he can’t be in that lifestyle”.
he came up in the 60s and 70s in new yawk.
you read the stories of how being gay was back then.
he told me he thanks his lucky stars he never got any diseases but he watched many die.
during the conversation that we were having…