Amaranth, amethyst, fossilized; love.
Hardened in place, my love for you captured
Stuck in a picture frame: your laugh and you.
Your arms around me. Time stopped, crescendo–
then gone, my love in pianissimo.
Remember when my little sister smiled
with holes in her teeth? How I loved, love her.
At that young age, did we know what love was?
Three words in a storybook, I spoke them.
Do you remember when I lost all my
baby teeth? The past was still the present,
when the bees still buzzed–I meant it.
Even as I clawed your face with a fork,
you fed me sweetpeas and loving touches
Like birds taking flight, like water crashing
Over the edge and into the boat; love
Let this be love. Your cracked hands gripping oars.
Row us to shore, I will follow you; love.
Merlot, Rhiannon
