Farewell, Sonja

I have studied the outlines of so many shoulder blades,
the twenty-four vertebrae of hundreds of beautiful spines.
Neck bones and hip bones the soft curves of hips and thighs.

This is goodbye over and over again.
I watch your back as you recede into the distance,
turn the street corner, get on to that train.

Just as I would like to capture this golden 5 am sunrise,
grasp it in my hand.
I would also like to do the same with you.

As I study your back and your legs
walking away from me on this familiar Spring morning,
I feel the weight of the morning dew around me.
I feel the weight of your farewell.

But love cannot be held in a fist,
only in the open palm of your hand.
​So it can breathe.
So it can fly.