Once upon a time,
You smiled each time I stared into your soul
And told you all the things
That made me want to hold your hand
That very first time.

There was a day,
Not long ago,
When you looked at me with eyes that shined
Like the sun on the sea.

Those eyes made me fall
Deeper and deeper
In love with you.
But that love became locked.
Cold.
Measured.

The love has started fading.
From your side,
As well as mine.
The sparkle of the sea,
Replaced with brick walls
And concrete sidewalks.
The smile,
Transformed into a kitchen counter,
Cluttered with loaves of bread and unopened letters.

The desire to hold your hand in mine
And comfort you as tears roll down
Your once soft cheeks
Has gotten away from me,
Like leaves escaping their branches.
The flowers that once grew inside the cracks of my walls
Have all died
From a lack of being watered,
By the hand that planted them there.