LOVE Poem: HOW’S YOUR MORNING GOING?, by Julian Lawler III

Well, to be quite frank,
It’s been the best morning in years,
knowing there was no suitcase to be packed, no early flight to catch,
no goodbyes today…
it was a great morning
seeing you there in our sea of blankets, run-way legs sticking out of the cotton waves
hearing you sleeping softly,
knowing you would be there
when I got home,
and not just a snap update throughout the day…
a simple ping letting me know
you were still alive

I was heartbroken
when I left Maine
Knowing that I was leaving you on the other side of the country
Knowing what you wanted
And that I could give it to you

And when you asked me
If you were someone I would marry
Whatever was left of this amazing life I’ve lived flashed before my
Eyes in that very instant
And I knew the traveling was over,
The wandering to the far ends of the earth
Were done
The searching for sights all across gods green earth
Had come to an end
I knew at that moment
That I would crush the wanderlust,
Pulverize it
Turn it into a fine resin
And wrap it around your finger

And when I saw that sonogram
And that little pulse of light
The doctor called a heartbeat,
I couldn’t believe
You and I had created that
And it made me wonder
Where did it come from?
What was it doing 9 weeks
Ago before it
knew we were calling it home?
Did it know we were summoning it
Even then
to enrich our Iives?
Did it need to accept an invite?

I still find it surreal I can say these
things to you openly
Because men fall
in love every day,
The arrow strikes
And the enchantment begins
But it doesn’t always
work out
We don’t always get what we want
And this morning
I woke up grateful
I don’t have to watch
you get on a plane
And fly away.