Golden skin and callused palms
brush hollow cheeks and blaze
trails of snowy feathers where, three years ago now
empty shadows replaced rosy light.
Do you remember?
how I followed you
bare feet crunched dead leaves
curve around tree bark
and stones
and the soft beige of mushrooms, and
bones.
You were so beautiful that day
and seeing you
golden filigree in fire over treetops
I knew, for the first time ever,
I loved you.
Where have you gone? Come back
to me, and sing
the times before bitten nail beds and
the iron bed of nails
before screaming into the dark atlantic
and forgetting
why you'd come in the first place
because you'd left your body behind in
the twilight
and it collapsed into violet dust, got lost in the glassy sand,
and your head jumped and
punched holes in soggy skies.
I'll guard those ashes with mine until you come
back to me in pulses
of salty waves, stale sea breeze stroking
my hair.
You'll sail over the black, churning ocean
with the spark in your eye once more, and fractal light
much like a sunrise
because
I still love you.