How to Love Someone Two Hours Away: a Time Capsule

1. It’s harder than concrete,
   & sparser than the desert flowers
2. Meeting up, everything’s rushed:
   time floats like the loon they say;
   driving the kids around in the golf cart,
   pushing little Ezra to “go higher!” on the swing set,
   watching The Lego Movie on your grandma’s bed
3. Kissing you is sweeter
   than salt water taffy;
   our tongues crackling electricity in our mouths,
   snapping like Pop Rocks
4. I miss squeezing our bodies
   closetogether in a fierce hug;
   I miss riffling through your shoulder-length brown hair;
   I ache for the sound of your voice
   in my sadness,
   in my inability to wrench myself from the suction of bedsheets
5. Now, during Covid-19:
   Your laughter over funny YouTube videos
   brings a trembling smile to my lips,
   I ask how you’re doing
   & feel gushing spring water relief when you say, “Okay.”
6. At night,
   I hope I dream up adventures for us:
   picnics, snuggling on your sectional couch,
   eating burgers & shakes at Freddy’s,
   holding hands as we walk down the bike path,
   the trees budding pink and green shoots anew

M.B.B.
7/8/16
(edited 3/17/20)
(edited again 5/16/20)