A Whole Melancholy of Lovers

nineteen

i asked when you wanted to get married
you looked lovingly into
my eyes and said "twenty-three"
after a moment you quickly
retracted and said
"no, twenty-one"
still you were unsure,
and out came "nineteen".
i was baffled, but my heart raced
i was happy to hear that
but then without thinking
i told you we should run
and elope at eighteen.
you agreed, telling me it sounded fun.