it is unjust for love
to exist like this

sea and sky between us,
miles and miles more

but our souls
are closer, still

i do not wish to simply be a tulip
in a garden of assorted flowers

allow me this selfishness—
to be the sole object of love

to be the only flower
in your garden

i will grow old with you and the skin we cherish so dear will shrivel and wrinkle and our joints will struggle to grasp the morning coffee and our aged minds will distort the past we held so dear but we will not forget the way our warmth lingered in the decrepit bed made for two

if my love for you
is not loud enough

make it known
for i will make

even my whispers
shake the Earth

i do know that i love you!
why would you ever question that?

did you not see me etching
your name on the moon?

did the ground not erupt hard enough
when i declared my love to the world?

you, with the weary eyes
and listless soul —
won’t you stay a while?

your uneasiness
has mired your senses.
come, lay on my lap.

rest well, my darling.
you are safe and sound,
i will make sure of it.

singing you to sleep
is the greatest privilege

to have someone dear
become witness to my music

an audience of one —
the only applause i need