Come, read me!

a poem about love

By me! By me!

She pats beside where she is,

on the staircase,

in the hallway,

on the couch,

in the chair.

Come sit by me,

Read me!

She says,

And I am, of course,

I’m reading you,

like I read your brother and sister

and read your Dad,

the way he moved through the world at 21

with such ease and strength and laughter and seriousness,

I read his questions and his dislike of poor reasoning

and his responsibility and his love

for his one and wild precious life.

He didn’t quote Mary Oliver

but he did quote C.S. Lewis,

and he loved the way I loved

and the depth of my spirit

and he thought me worthy

of his best

which he gave me,

which he is giving me again.