after every night with you so far

I see myself a tower still being built, further into the sky

You have bruised me and bitten me in the name of Our Hunger Who Art In Bed With Us

And I'm not asking for the full stigmata,

I just want to keep these marks on me for a while

Although even as reminders, I doubt we'd need them to remember,

But to wear, simply as proof:

You Were Here

and Here

and Here and Here and Here Here Here Here Here etc

I have never been as aligned with another body of stars as I am with yours

A constellation I often catch staring at me

And I stare back

The void not unnoticed completely around us

but our celestial bodies pulled more into focus, rather

If my repetitive declarations of your beauty and how it affects me makes it anywhere beneath your skin, I will count it successful

I will tell you even if you don't believe it

If ever there was a time to put faith in something you don't think you can see now is that time, these are those words

You've untied me like a wrapped gift and left me open: There is no mistaking my contents--

and so when I tell you, clothed or naked, that you are a work of art, you are beautiful?

Drink of that well! It is purified water

I don't know where you think you are in your story--

if you have reached your denouement--

but if I had to jump in as co-author, I wouldn't know where to start,

there is so much--!

When you said of the wedding where we met,

"I never felt more...seen...than when I was talking with you",

I tell you truly we are mirrored--

I had met my match in kind,

in whatever kind of soulmate form the universe saw fit to make from our thread

You are rare, raw, in all forms glowing--

by the light of your cigarette when you're at your favorite smoking spot,

by the energy thrumming from your words as you weave at our table,

by the blue-fucking-everlasting-sea-glass-green of your eyes when you look at me and smile,

in all forms, I tell you, and no, I'm not talking about the sad lamp.

There was a time when I would be sore afraid,

but I could now run a whole day on those eyes and that look alone

So stick around, nerd.

I wanna see museums and antique malls with you

I wanna go sifting through history with you

I wanna watch you run a newspaper

I wanna keep playing at your table

I wanna write and build stories with you

I wanna see shows with you and squeeze your hand when they sing my favorite lyrics

I wanna listen to your voice for as many hours as you can speak

I wanna listen to your guitar for as many hours as you can sing

I wanna I wanna I want you

And if all of this falls through,

please stay--my life, now knowing you, is pure bleakness without you in it,

in whatever capacity

In Our Name We Pray,

Get after it.