"You are every reason, every hope and every dream I've ever had."
Nicholas Sparks

I had often compared us
To Cupid and Psyche,
How he would only come to her
At night
And how she must never know
His true identity.
Yet her curiosity
Would eventually overcome her
And he would fly away
Leaving her bereft,
Filled with regret for
Her impetuousness.
You, too, would come to me
Under cover of the night,
I always knew who you were,
Your scent,
Your warmth,
The feel of your touch,
Though I never saw your face.
I was content with that,
Rarely wondering
If I would know you
If we met
On the street.
But one day I did see you
And I knew you
In an instant,
I was elated
But it was like the oil
Dripping from Psyche's lamp,
For shortly thereafter
I knew your name,
I knew who you were,
And like Cupid,
You were suddenly gone.
I no longer felt you nearby,
You no longer came to me
In my sleep,
And I was bereft.
Even though I did not
Set out
To drive you away,
I bitterly regretted
The discoveries
That did so.
I felt you were lost
To me.
I've missed you so much,
Longing for you
Both night and day,
Until just tonight,
When I felt a wisp of you
Brush my soul
And caught a whiff
Of your scent.
Are you coming back to me
At last?
I pray that you are
For you are,
And always have been,
At the center
Of my heart.

c. 2024

For Michael