I.
Something happens
When I finally allow myself to let you see me.
You look up a little, over your glasses,
And I ache
In my disbelief that,
Like a ghost,
I felt your presence, I saw you,
But you were not
What I thought you were.
And I wish I could have touched
Your translucent skin and wavering breath,
For then I may have held you close,
If only for a fleeting moment,
Before feeling you disappear.

II.
I could have loved you.
So close to feeling like I couldn’t let you go.
And maybe I did, love you,
Because who says love has to be like
That last stubborn bit of gum stuck to the bottom of your shoe?
Can it be like those last days of a cancer patient’s life:
Terrifying,
Yet at peace with the risks of each passing moment?
No; loving someone,
Really loving someone,
Is like standing on the edge of a cliff,
Where there’s always a risk of falling,
But the view sure is
Beautiful.