Previously I Loved You, Presently I Do.

I document myself for thee
And all the ways I love you gradually.
To the gods, I beckon this solemn plea—
Unto us, may they grant a dynasty.

Yesterday, I loved you like a summer's day,
Like tender leaves sprouting from trees in May.
As a Danaus plexippus guides itself astray
In search of a mate with whom it seeks to play
And live with till their end of days,
Dying together in soft, unfinished ways.

For when the ground swallows up my babe,
Through grief, still, I hope to draw comfort from dismay,
Knowing I’ll depart soon after,
With nothing in this world left to pay.
In solitary confinement,
Till then, will I lay
And continue loving your spirit true,
Embalming the love between us two.
This array of feelings is not brand new;
They symbolise the ways I yearn for you.

Yesterday, I loved you like the sun didn’t shine,
Like water drifting gently under sunken mines.
As the weather shifts with the seasons,
So my soul doth find
That despite all my pleading,
We are bound by time.

Without thee, I am withered,
Made of brittle vines,
Like flowers in their daybeds
Or fawns curled in a cocoon of quiet nests,
Settled in comfort
As the moon puts them to rest.

Yesterday, I loved you,
Today, still, I do.
Previously, I loved you,
And presently, I do.
Winds blow by me carelessly,
Caressing so earnestly
My cheek inadvertently,
As, absentmindedly…
My thoughts turn to you.

Lilies are ripe with shallow cuts,
Sunflowers hide in hardened buds.
As birds leap in skyful horizons,
My affection for you all but widens.
It grows as weeds do,
In reach for a touch of the sky,
Before the clouds surge forward,
Running towards the night.

Sparrows hop grass to grass.
To myself, I say, “This too shall pass.”
I will not pretend that I am not eager
To sit a while and let my heart teeter.
In truth, I find addiction in my loneliness,
Or any solitude that draws me near to you.

Yesterday, I loved you,
Today, still, I do.
Previously, I loved you,
And presently, I do.
Here lies a written declaration
Of my adoring you.
Do enjoy these bitter words
Turned to sweet, sweet cherry blues.