The way we met was organic
“I have a friend, I really think you’d like her”
Meeting you, shy and rosy-cheeked
Falling for you was easy
The way you held the stem of a wine glass like a cigarette
And the way you tipped 30%
Sharing lipstick in the car on the drive to my dad’s house
Splitting appetizers
Exchanging laughs like currency
Our home, filled with warm candlelight and perfectly placed pillows
You let me paint the kitchen green to match your eyes
Heart of the home - where love translates to a plate
And oh how I love to satisfy you with a perfect bite
We make pasta on Sundays
You teach me how to make sourdough
I, the chef, and you, the baker
We buy flowers at the farmer’s market on weekends
You pull over on the highway to get a picture of the orange painted skies
Sternum to sternum
You hold me like a secret
But you speak of me like truth
You trace the scars on my spine like brail
Reading, learning, understanding me
Forgiving the claws that left me this way
I claim the corner of your collarbone as a safe place to rest
I braid your hair while we watch movies
My father loves the way you root for the Broncos
And your mother loves the way I root for you
We take turns dealing with the spiders
Never killing them
Always returning them to the Earth
Because our love is gentle
Because our love is merciful
Because our love is so generous, we must pass it on- even to the bugs
We smile at the young boys with their hands interwoven, tied in knots
We ignore the disapproving glances when we kiss in the produce section
Violets in a jar on your nightstand
Your favorite sweater drenching me in your scent
Amber, honey, and soil
From tending to the peppers in our garden
Sometimes, the basement floods
Sometimes, our plans unravel and laugh at us
Sometimes, the heavy stones make their way into our pockets
Never dissolving
Always, together
For what is love if not enduring the many shapes of cruelty-
Simply for the sake of being the one who gets to unzip your dress
And bearing witness to the crow’s feet that grow each time I have the pleasure of making you laugh?