Of those three words that
you had poured carefully into my ears,
each one singing like stars
and exploding with the vivacious
energy of an icy comet,

these things mattered more:

We used to sit,
brushing fingers and sleeves
for the sole purpose of knowing
all there is to know about one another,
to draw out the light ignited in our bones.
I used to lie with you,
hearing your heartbeat:

the blood pulsing through
ventricles, heavy and dynamic,
until at some point
I began to sleep inside the peace
and monotony of those
careful, dark walls.