The Dictionary Of Obscure Sorrows

I just wanted to write you a poem

photo by Julian Hochgesang on Unsplash

I just wanted to write you a poem but my words were bodies floating in the river so I carried them out and laid them on the sand and dressed them in warm clothing but their lips were blue so I gave you my heart instead.

You read me poems I couldn’t hear because I was drowning in the color of your eyes so I closed my own but then I drowned in your voice and the water was deep and warm and held me so gently I forgot who I was.

I remember how we danced that midsummer night and the moon kissed the poplar until it glowed silver and her leaves whispered of love and you told me I was beautiful and I believed you but I think I imagined that.

You hung the stars so I could see in the dark and our laughter was music and I picked ripe red strawberries from the garden and they stained our lips and you said kiss me so I did and the dawn broke me like a twig.

Tell me about the dream where we rewound time and Virginia walked out of the river Ouse and pulled rocks from the pockets of a dark blue pea coat to drop them on the beach and throw herself into the arms of her lover.

Tell me about the dream where Hemingway lived and no one administered shock therapy and he finished the stories left unwritten and his son didn’t…