In Sickness

The rose garden of our arboretum bloomed in the Spring
We ran through it, laughing as children
We ate lunch on the bench and I trusted you
The leaves sparkled on the trees
Feeling as if we were dreaming in that sacred place
You reached out your hand for mine
Gently clasped together they slowly lowered to rest
*
In the spotlight of the moon I wanted to step into our rose garden
With our cathedral ceiling as the night sky
And the stars our witnesses

*

We invited another couple
And they skipped and smiled in our garden
They don’t talk to us anymore
How dare they have stepped in that place
*
At night we’re separated
To them I’m just a woman
Tempted and weak-willed
And you’re just like your father
His sins are all you speak
*
We hold each other in sickness
Your screams for help deafen me
My bones are about to break
*
But our love it was stronger by far than the love
Of those who were older than we—
Of many far wiser than we—
*
Sometimes you wake up
You see my sparking blue eyes as I smile, alive
You feel my warm secure hug
You taste my ice-cream kiss
Smell the roses of our arboretum
You hear the meaning in “I love you”
Mostly your eyes are closed to me