Like Maryann Jolie

To live in a house of your dreams,

with fields stretching farther

than the eye can follow—

to wake in gladness

and sleep in the same sweet light.

To always find brightness

inside the dark,

to leap without trembling,

to never know doubt,

to wear peace

like second skin.

Oh, to live like Maryann Jolie.

To wake beside the person

made for you

and, in their face,

see home.

To want them,

to miss them before they’ve gone,

to yearn so deeply

it feels like drowning—

and dive anyway,

knowing you cannot swim,

yet certain

you will not sink.

To move through each day together,

and even apart,

remain whole.

To have body, heart, and soul

sing one perfect harmony;

to trust so completely

your heart rests unguarded,

safe in their keeping.

Oh, to love like Maryann Jolie.

To make the ordinary sacred—

to gift her favorite flowers

without reason,

to offer devotion

without question.

To know her troubles

before they trouble her,

to stand before them

and shield her light.

To watch her smile

the moment you walk in,

to witness her peace

and treasure it

as something holy.

Oh, to love Maryann Jolie.

To laugh at silliness,

to cry over childish things,

to be tickled into tears.

To argue,

and reconcile.

To walk beside rivers,

ponds,

lakes,

and the edges of oceans

as the sun dissolves itself

into evening.

To speak deeply

of the heart’s hidden chambers

and the things

that gnaw at the mind.

To drink wine,

to eat cheese,

to travel.

Oh, to laugh with her.

Oh, to live with Maryann Jolie.

To have someone beside you

and never doubt their truth.

To be remembered.

To be worthy of importance.

To be cherished,

to be taught,

to be held

so gently

it feels like prayer.

To be seen.

Oh, to be loved

by Maryann Jolie.