Love's Wake
The enormity of love
the day I knew
the depths of love
wasn’t the day
we met in kindergarten
you, a Mutant Ninja Turtle
and I, Wonder Woman
it wasn’t the day I twisted my ankle
and you twisted so many lemons
into water, ice, and sugar to make me smile again
it wasn’t the day you brought me
to your hiding place—your tree fort in your wild backyard
or the day you realized you no longer needed one
it wasn't the day you bought me a corsage and
your flowers made me sneeze all night
or the nights we choose to keep the faith
until we both were ready
it wasn’t when you held my hair the day oysters tried to kill me
or the time you outran rain
to come get to me
when my wheels slipped and caught and crunched
across the embankment
or the times you sang your perfect songs for me
or the day I presented you with your dream car, secondhand
or the moment we chose to make love for the first time
it was not that perfect day
when you spoke the words
and I spoke them, too,
when nothing and everything
between us
changed
nor was it the day when my water broke—and we were so broke!—
when all that mattered
was the miracle breathing between us,
because of us,
already the best of each of us
it could have been but was not the day
you saved me
from swallowing
too many
when the postpartum sought
to swallow me whole
nor was it the day we walked
our darling baby girl
into her
first day of kindergarten
all curious
big brown eyes, tiny yellow dress, bouncy caramel curls
and that laugh that could fuel the sun
I thought I knew then,
but I knew
nothing
until
the day
came
with
a
phone
call
and I
collapsed
under its
weight:
where they’d found her
how they’d found her
in that moment I knew
its enormity
***
Copyright © 05/21/2016 by Christy Munson. All rights reserved.
About the Creator
Christy Munson
My words expose what I find real and worth exploring.
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By Judey Kalchik 6 days ago in Writers
Comments (5)
This was extremely moving, Christy. A love story indeed with all its simplicity and all of its pain. I loved the way that you built it up, each crucial stage of growth in a relationship. A mini window on a life. Sad though.
This is so beautiful and heartbreakingly sad. Your words make me feel so deeply.
I always hope it's fiction, as I tend to write mostly fiction with bearable endings. A touching piece!
Christy your words are like a window into the depths of your soul. Your sadness is palpable, but so is your strength in expressing it."
Gosh there are so many phenomenal lines in this. It was utterly beautiful and heartbreakingly sad. Great writing.