some places get under your skin
like the ink of a tattoo;
they force their ink into you,
so beautifully-- you think only of
how lovely it will be

to be here, love
to be lovely here
the taste of the sky, the length of the cathedral shadows
the cigarettes we smoked around the fountain
the plaças that we ruled with our infinite youth--
all this
i am leaving.
my own skin, i am leaving it here
to soak in the sunsets on the beach, to wander the tall stone alleys
to drink coffee on the ramblas
to dance drunk in steamy crowded rooms

barcelona,
i leave to you my heart.