Meanwhile
I love you while I’m working
Tapping away at the keyboard
Spelling out your face in my mind
With each key I hit
Each consonant a constant reminder
Of how hearing three words from you
Makes me lift up from my toes
and unanchored feet
My dome in the clouds…
I am daydreaming again
Love
Don’t want to lose
The scent of you
And the soft nudge of your nose
On the nape of my neck
Before your lips rest
On the hollow of my collar bone
I love you while I’m washing my hair
The hours of the day flowing past my shoulders
Swimming after soap and stress and silky bathwater
Even then I think of you
How you bury your face in my hair
And somehow catching your breath in my ear
Makes me feel so beautiful
I love you while I’m washing my car
Dampening its sides as if it were you
Smoothing it with the wet palm of my hands
With firm and careful strokes
‘Til I see the reflections of trees growing tall
Across the flank of its shining flesh
Glinting like your eyes
When I love you
I love you while I’m reading
My eyes rest swiftly but steady on words
The way they study you
You and your body
Smooth and strong like the spine of books
Feeling the curve of your shoulders
At the tips of my fingers as I turn each page
And even the few times when thoughts of you
Are shelved between shoulder blades of books
Even when you quietly exit
The glass-walled room of my eyes
Leaving traces of a smile
Upturned like the sweetest jar of honey
I find myself loving you more
I love you while I write this poem
While words wrestle
To be at the tip of my pen
Longing to be plucked
From the heart
Like guitar strings
And meanwhile I’ll continue to search
The bottom of inkwells
For words sound and strong enough
Worthy to carry my love for you
So far out at sea.
Happy Valentine’s Day, all you lovers out there. Especially to the lovers in waiting. I wrote this poem when my husband was away on deployment. Man, those months are rough, to say the least. I’m thankful to have him home to celebrate Valentine’s Day with me this year.
Have a great day and don’t forget to call your Mom. 🙂
XoXo,
Kristine