November 22, 2013

My dearest,

Here is the bench
Where I used to sit
and wait for you
to pass me every day
after school
to the park
You’d play with other boys
while I turned my face away.

 
Here is the bench
Where we sat
on our first date
fingers squashed
under our frozen bums
We daren’t touch
and risk melting.

 
Here is the bench
Where we posed for photographs
on our wedding day.
Our friends made us stand on it
and sprayed champagne
all over us.
We smiled for days.

 
Here is the bench
where our firstborn
crawled under
and wouldn’t come out
till you offered her a lollipop
a ride on my shoulders
a kiss, a story good night.

 
Here is the bench
where we sit and sit
Not playing not posing
Not ferreting our kids from under it
Just sitting, settled
Our fingers finally finding each other
And not letting go, ever.

Yours, ever and always.