love poems

Listen now, and listen closely. 
My mother wakes at dawn daily 
To give me a glass of milk
This milk my fathers brings
Every afternoon 

Listen now. 
If you must leave, 
leave me with the love I have
turn it to grief and something bittersweet– 
your memories larger than you 

There’s no other life, and no other you 
All things soft and gentle and lovely 
left when you did
Second hand grief, 
you don’t owe me, you don’t need to stay
i will leave a rose anyways, they barely last a day 

Listen now
Love poems are easy to write 
Eyes and hands and dark hair
Relative to god 
Relative to the heaven i saw once 
slow-dancing alone, and phantoms 
Dance right along where you should be 
foolish girl, terrible girl, girl with no mouth 
love poems to all and none to me 
i could’ve asked you to stay, 
You could’ve looked back once 
but we went our ways 
and now i have this grief 
do you think of me,
do you carry what i do? 

Listen darling
Dearest, 
love poems are easy to write
it is awful, it perseveres 
it is so stubborn, 
Irrational and stupid and hopeful 
love poems are easy 
my mom always picks up every call, 
and there are a few stars out tonight 
Almost as bright as your honey eye
almost mimicking your sunshine smile
listen now–
i can’t leave it unsaid, i can’t write
another letter i’ll never send

Darling, 
my dearest– 
i wouldn’t be me
if it weren’t for you. 
love poems are easy, 
it is the grief later 
with no words.