Anniversary Gift

Anniversary Gift

What I would like for our 

Second Wedding Anniversary

(The First Apart):

Your trust
that I mean it
when I say
I don’t want
to cause you more
pain, but I want:

Your honesty,

speaking truth without

spin,

evasion,

or justification;

Your vulnerability,

speaking without

defense,

or regard

for consequence

knowing that

you could very well

be hurt,

but that life means

some hurt,

some of it

earned;

Your admission
that I was right,
You know about
which things,
especially
that I know you
like no other
(In print, {risking that
I may publish it},
rather than
throw-away words
in person that
someone else
will never
have to
know about,
or believe);

Your understanding

that I can’t

be around you

as long as…

and that

demanding it of me

was cruel;

Your guilt

(not words,

but the emotion)

without the

immediate retreat

into self-congratulation

and LA-superficial;

Your statement

(notice neither 

'promise'

nor 

'vow')

that should I move on

too

then, 

no matter if regret

burn you down to the frame

of yourself

you will not react on me,

nor congratulate,

or attempt to burn us down.

Your acceptance

that as long as

certain things

pertain to your life

I 

do not,

and that, 

in the future 

that you yourself 

contemplated

("WHEN we get 

back together" 

never 'if', 

no matter

who you spoke to,
and not considering
anyone else)

Not a trace of this 

Time

 can remain.