He will tell his
brown-haired, green-eyed sweetheart
"you are the most beautiful girl in the world"
and hopefully she won't believe him
hopefully she'll think of a few months
maybe years
from now
when they're distant from each other
with loose strands of broken bandages
between them
and he's calling
a blonde-haired, blue-eyed girl
the most beautiful girl in the world
instead

hopefully she'll spare herself
the false truth
faster than
I did.