I wanted to
grow old with you
and spend the golden
years of our lives together
but instead
we grew young together
you and I
over the last decade
burning CDs for each other
writing the song titles
like a love poem
choosing tunes
to say the things
we could not yet
say to each other
using words as
our heart-voice
feeling butterflies
as we played
each new CD
for the first time
riding on the Harley
up and down the canyons
holding you tightly
from my perch behind
squeezing my knees tight
when you went too fast
on the down-windy-roads
till you slowed a bit
and we floated like birds
wind in our hair
stopping at dive bars
to quench our thirst
for adventure
for each other
for life
dancing under the stars
and on worn wooden floors
of clubs and venues
of our living room
to favorite songs
and hearing you sing
every word of songs
I’ve known by heart
my entire life
bringing me back to
the first time I heard each one
I was as young as I’ve ever been
with you
laughing out loud
to each other’s jokes
or even to our own
and to great lines
in fantastic movies
that we’d seen many times before
but not through this particular lens
of shared vision
and mutual joy
and at night
lying in the nest of family
we laughed to silly videos
till the tears of happiness
caressed our cheeks
to say a peaceful
and contented
good night
reading good books
to each other out loud
side-by-side on the couch
introducing each other
to our favorites
which became new to us again
even on our first date
you brought me three books
The White Dragon trilogy
which you produced from beneath
the leather jacket you wore
while riding the bike to Starbucks
I doubt even a single day
has gone by in our shared life
when we didn’t speak of books
or the longing for
more time to read
cooking together
with the stereo on high
and a beer or a glass of wine
between the two of us
while I made the sides
and you flipped the steak
and each felt grateful
for the company
the camaraderie
the created shared meal
and in that hub
something so ordinary as
a meal
became extraordinary
building a life together
with two boys between us
and building a deck
on our house
on a lake
with a sturdy foundation
and power tools
and a shared vision
we were building dreams
traveling together
to meet each other’s families
and swim in the Caribbean
and set the intention of our future
and celebrate that future
in Paris
staying on a boat
on the Seine
at the base of the Louvre
what could be more majestic
but instead of growing old together
we Benjamin Button-ed it
and grew young together
instead
although our hair
has turned more gray
in the time we’ve been together
our hearts have grown younger
together
and because of
our time together
we will be
forever
young
although our
time together didn’t
last the rest of our days
like we had
foreseen
wanted
craved
the days we had together
feel like a lifetime
because it was
