Delicate
As fragile as the first flower after the long winter,
and as I yearn to show its beauty to the world,
I am scared.

To lose it,
to have it break,
wither and fall,
and so.

I grasp the soil with tender hands and tender hopes.

You brought home peaches today,
in a small woven basket that smelt like sunshine.
I told you I'd make peach cobbler with them.
And when I went to get the pie pan out but there was already cobbler there.

I turned to you confused and you
Smiled a sad smile
Took my hand in yours and lead me to my rocking chair.
Told me that I looked beautiful today-
that you loved me.
I laughed a little laugh,
I'm sorry sir, you are kind, but we just met!
Again you smiled your sad smile,
took my left hand in yours,
We've been married for 46 years

You brought home peaches today,
in a small woven basket that smelt like sunshine.
I told you I'd make peach cobbler with them.
And when I went to get the pie pan out but there was already cobbler there.

Would you like a cup of tea?

Milk?

Sugar?

Wine perhaps?

Here, come sit with me, let us eat expensive cheese,

and talk about cheesy things.

Like how sunsets are always free,

and about how the waves are neverendingly faithful
to the shore. Let us sit
in a swinging love seat,
 and drink our wine
from tea mugs, so the elderly couple
across the street
doesn't cast us disapproval.

Let me lay my head upon your shoulder,
while you contemplate the mysteries of the universe.

Exclaiming how brilliant the stars shine their light from so far away,

when all the light I need
is from you.

Let us eat the expensive cheese,
because love is no expense
when our sunsets are free.

Tensions build,

Issues turn to tissues,

and you fold into your fears.

The calls turns to cries,

you were so happy

The downward scrawl of your note,

paralleling the downward spiral of

your life.

so full of potential

In physics class we learned to calculate the force of tension for a rope weighed down by a mass.

I got a 96% and a full scholarship to our dream school.

Working towards my PhD.

My thesis you ask?

"Predicting the force of tension for a rope weighed down by a mass."

But sadly

you just

can't



stop





gravity.

I bought a new swimsuit today,
pulling the material tight across my body.
Seams stretching,
Arms stretching as we bath in the free sunshine.
Bare feet, bare skin, and we bare our hearts as well.
You drink in the air, and I drink in you.
Too much, too fast.
Intoxication, infatuation-
found side by side in my thesaurus that sits on my shelf.
My shelf that holds all my swimsuits,
all with the tags still attached.

Our bed is an ocean,
your body my boat.

Let us explore the sea of our sheets,
as I explore you.

Twisting, curling linens
and I curl into you.

Our bed is an ocean,
your body my boat.

Let me inspire you,
I am your creation, your canvas, and your paint.

Follow the curves of my cheeks,

the curls of my fingers

and the corners of my elbows.

Let me inspire you,
and you may paint our love like a portrait.