~Jean Elizabeth Webster~
It was the anniversary,
Of the day,
That she had left him.
On a long journey home.
Reaching up she took the box of memories
From the shelf where she kept them.
The day had come and it was time.
She took the short mile walk down to the shore.
So far away.
As if going to a picnic at the beach.
Alone.
Ocean waves tapped softly at her feet,
Now standing on solid ground.
Thousands of miles,
And a world away.
A sailboat in the distance,
Cotton clouds float by in blue skies
As one seagull kept watch,
A private ceremony,
For closure.
A final goodbye.
She opened the box and closed her eyes,
As a sudden flood of memories flew out,
Startling and overwhelming.
Releasing scenes from within
Silently she remembered...
The day they met,
His voice,
The first kiss...his scent,
The laughter,
Their playful ease with each other,
An old scarf,
A leather jacket,
His smile
His smile
His smile
Warm fires,
In fireplaces,
...a glass of wine,
Over dinners,
Family meals,
And holidays.
Slow dancing together,
In the small apartment,
Downtown.
Falling asleep with music playing.
Dreams of a future,
Whispered in the dark.
Sweet hours of naps & cuddling,
Summer Shakspeare in the park.
French toast,
The smell of coffee,
And every Sunday breakfast in bed,
Snow falling softly,
Warm and safe,
In his arms,
The perfect fit,
Of her hand in his...
Evening walks,
Weekend bicycles,
The Sound Of Music,
Everywhere.
The days and weeks,
Months turned to years.
Summers and winters
Springs and Falls.
Hockey and soccer,
Every other weekend shared,
With growing boys.
Memories of each moment,
Images.
Of everything.
Long lost were the days of happiness.
Cherished were the memories,
One by one.
And she smiled.
As tears fell softly,
Washing away every thought,
..of the secrets & lies.
The rage,
The anger,
Cruel words spoken,
Promises,
...and trust broken,
A fist,
A threat.
The fear. The fear. The fear.
And bruises that would not heal,
The heart break,
A shattered glass
A shattered love,
A shattered life together.
Losing one another,
...in the tears
The tears.
The tears.
Holding the pieces,
...tightly in her hand,
And with one last memory of a love
That once she thought was shared,
With all her might, and eyes wide open,
She heard him...
She saw him...
She felt him...
She held him...
She loved him...
She forgave him...
Then she held her hand up towards the sky,
As if a sacrifice for Heaven and all regret.
Said a prayer,
Made a wish...
Blew him one last kiss...
Letting go...
...and he was gone.
XO
