aftertaste || poetry

066 - in memoriam

themes: heartbreak, reminiscence, moving on

in the quiet of the tranquil night

even as i've made peace within

i would not change a single thing

and yet i still miss you

i miss the way your chocolate eyes

could fix any open wound

the day i came home crying

one look and i knew sanctuary

i miss the way your calloused palms

held my delicate heart still

when i pointed out the jagged scars

and you didn't mind a single one

i miss the way your hushed laughter

sang of sunshine days ahead

after i drowned in sweat and terror

the nightmares feared you instead

in sinking comfort i close my eyes

filled with anger and fear and shame

but i have enough room inside my heart

to remember the things you did for me

in sickness and in heartbreak and in death

i choose to memorialize all of it

you are neither angel nor devil but human

and that is how i lay you to rest

even as i remember the fights

and the days you didn't speak a word

i unbox every little memento

knowing there isn't a part i'd like to lose

when we say our last goodbyes

i watch you go with a knowing smile

these tears no longer taste bitter

because i know i loved all of you