Now

I miss,
Walking hand in hand,
Grabbing you when you least expect it,
Journeys we always planned,
Those driven adventures to nowhere,
Everywhere, somewhere, anywhere,
Hot meals at the end of every walk,
Hot cups of tea we shared,
With a sandwich,
On green hills,
Sandy beaches,
So sadly,
Out of my reach,
Now.

Paddles we took,
Seaweed accosting our toes,
In freezing waters,
Boots slung over our shoulders,
Jeans rolled up our calves,
You splashing my legs every chance you got,
Rugs in the dunes,
Hours spent reading, talking, loving,
Sandy soups and hungry seagulls,
Begging for more,
As I do,
Now.

Maps you could never read,
Until I told you where you were,
Then you figured it out by yourself,
Streams that would turn us back,
You now leap,
Piggy backs over bogs,
Knee deep in mud, laughing,
Even when it rained,
Talking to sheep who watched with disdain,
Watching rabbits frolic at dusk,
Mirrored reflections of our own romps,
Distant memories,
Now.

Hated shop browsing that you loved,
Punctuated by steaming coffee,
Loathsome questions,
Diplomatic answers,
Angry looks from changing rooms,
Seeking reassurance,
Bargain hunting amongst racks of tat,
Holding another top to the light,
Shaking our heads,
Rolling our eyes,
I ache for those shops,
Now.

Freedom we had to roam,
Roads to tranquility,
Rivers that carried away our fears,
Seas that battered our shores,
Yet we watched,
In awe of such power,
Lighthouses that lit our path,
Over horizons new,
Stars on a velvet midnight,
Our friends in the sky,
Moonlit vistas,
So close,
Yet so distant,
Now.

I miss,
Our love,
Our tender embraces,
The feel of you leaning into me,
That look in our eyes,
Emotions that required no words,
Understanding the needs,
Satisfying those desires,
Lying sated in each others arms,
Trance like,
I miss those days of our lives,
Those nights,
Our love,
Now.