How short our time has been.
My first poetry journal--
Now ten sheets shy of its fill…

My passion for this work--
Poetic expression--
Has seen no day of abandon since we met—
Late June, ‘til now
We’ve been happily inseparable.

Ten weeks was the length of our affair;
Adventures I will never forget.
We shared laughter and tears…

Insecurities, delights and fears…

I must admit though,
I cheated on you.
Yes, it’s true —forgive me but
To not confess now would be a crime!

You weren’t the sole place
Poems were penned—no,
Computer was my preferred choice.

You were saved for places where
Laptop could not travel,
Or would not function.

In the end though, you got the best
Of the best
Of me,
Just as it should have been.

Most poets write because they must;
The thoughts, the words just flow.
We are compelled to fill blank pages;
To labor, revise, rewrite—
Until message, meter and rhyme
Sing perfect.

You knew that.
And, you cooperated—
You never crashed on me;
Never interrupted me with email,
Never weighed me down during my travels.

You stayed the course
Patiently awaiting my verse
Kept it secure within your covers….

Now it’s time to rest, my friend.
I shall leave you with this
As my last piece…

I’ll feel so alone without you!

But I vowed that there would be only one journal.
I want you to be uniquely special;
To assume a cherished place
In my family’s history.

So, I’ll store you carefully;
And I’ll check on you often.
I’ll ensure that time doesn’t wear away your pages,
Or erode the words we’ve shared…

You see, I want my descendants to know
That once upon a time I lived;
And walked through my trials and joys as they do…
Times captured in my words
Contained inside of you.

Live long, my Friend.