i'm prone to doubt
so i kept a list
of each and every moment
that my heart (mind)
asked me if i loved them
until the entries were too numerous to deny
and all that was left
was yearning
and an answer i could trace
in real time

Mourning doves built a nest on the patio last week, and I knew it was time
I've been watching and waiting
Wishing that the choice wouldn't be mine

Sleep—sleep, sleep, please sleep
Well, now you're drowsy in my arms
And I'm lost in the way your eyes blink

You're forever with me—etched elegantly into my skin
But I've been watching and waiting
And my arms are emptier now than they've ever been

Sleep—sleep, sleep, shhh sleep
Midnight vigil because I can't—
Still lost in the way your eyes blinked

Mourning doves are laying eggs on the patio—new life, soon-to-be, under our roof
Well, I'll be watching, and I'll be waiting
And I'll be naming the brood after you two

do regular maintenance
on your soul
clean out the blemish
and the soot
soak it in solution

dust out the corners
of your mind
handle it with care
and buff the edges
caulk the cracks

polish the windows
of your heart
throw out the excess
and leave only the joy
furbish the frayed fringe