Never change

I never want to see you change.

The photo sits inside a silver frame,
From years before I even knew your name.
A gap-toothed smile beneath a summer sun,
Long days of childhood freedom, just begun.
I trace the faded ink and vintage lace,
The sweet innocence upon your younger face.
I wish that time could freeze this perfect view,
And lock away the childhood soul of you.
Before the bitter world could rearrange,
I never want to see you change.

We sit together by the kitchen light,
And watch the autumn rain transform the night.
Your hand is warm, your eyes are steady, deep,
A quiet harbor where my terrors sleep.
The world outside is full of shifting sand,
But here, the solid ground is where we stand.
You are my anchor in the crashing sea,
The only constant thing assigned to me.
Through every passing, unpredictable age,
I never want to see you change.

A coat is packed, a suitcase by the door,
The keys are left upon the hallway floor.
You stand before me, cold and strangely still,
With distant eyes that freeze my stubborn will.
The taxi waits outside to take you down,
To some brand-new, exciting, distant town.
I hold my breath and watch you walk away,
With desperate words I know I cannot say.
As you become a person cold and strange,
I never want to see you change.