Love's Wake

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.