how to heal

31

later
somewhere down south
-
her

you made me promise
not to read it until
i boarded the plane.
i would've stayed if i could.
i would've never left
if it meant we could've been
together for just a little longer.
i waited to read it
and i wish i hadn't.
i was a watery mess on that
stupid airplane.
the woman next to me
had to give me a handkerchief
to wipe my tears.
you'd started writing poetry
that summer,
something i knew about.
you swore you were bad
but i liked what you wrote.
i guess my words
had meant something to you
because you had packed
at least 30 poems in
your classically messy script
into an envelope.
words all meant for me and
about me
written from the heart
and filled with meaning.
even with the distance
that existed between us and
continues to do so,
i find myself
deeply connected to you and
deeply in love
with every single piece of you.
each word,
each sweet gesture,
each kiss,
each touch,
each encouragement
has led me here.
it has led me to finally
heal.