Temporary ink

You and I sit in the car,

Rain beating down on the windshields,

And we say, I love you.

Our words almost drowned out by the

pounding of rain on the metal of my

car.

I say I love you.

You write it something on a spare napkin

in permanent ink,

I read it. “I love you”

I open the car door

And run to the office building,

Rain beating on my head.

I feel the gentle tap tap on my head,

As the rain soaks my suit.

I clutch the napkin tighter.

I reach the warm cover and look back,

You are gone.

Driven away into the storm back home.

I stand and say I love you

Into the beating rain,

Hoping that you feel it.

I get in the elevator

And hear your voice “I love you”.

I have not forgotten.

I feel your hand on my chest,

And your lips on my cheek.

I have not forgotten.

I think of my dad,

I wonder how he faded so fully..

So completely…

How he was so…

Temporary.

I still feel his hand on my cheek as he

said goodbye…

Though, it has faded.

I try to think of his voice,

But I can’t remember the sound his

vibrations made.

I can’t remember the tone of the

compressed air

Or the frequency of his voice.

He said forever.

But no,

one day he left without a trace.

Everyone always told me it would get

Better. I believed them.

They are wrong,

It still hurts.

Pain is temporary they say.

I disagree.

Happiness is temporary.

I look down at my shirt,

The colors are faded with use.

What was once a sharp black

Is now a dull grey.

I look back at memories,

They are faded with years of stress.

What was once a sharp black

Is now a dull grey.

I feel lonely now.

I remember the napkin in my pocket with

those words,

I love you.

I have not forgotten.

I don’t feel lonely anymore,

I know I have you.

I pull the napkin out of my pocket,

And put it next to my computer.

I close my eyes,

And I remember you,

Laying in bed with your hair sprawled out

over a pillow as I stare.

There are words in my stare,

Words that cannot be said with a tongue,

Or with a pair of lips,

Unspeakable words.

I open my eyes and look at the napkin,

The ink is running,

And I cannot read the three words that

mean so much.

What was a sharp black

Is now a running mess of permanent ink.

I put the napkin in my pocket.

I arrive home and knock on the door,

I hear footsteps,

Yours.

I have not forgotten.

Your shuffling feet arrive at the door,

And I look in your eyes.

They say I love you.

They say come inside.

They say forget.

Pain is temporary I think,

Just like the ink,

And the colors on my shirt.

They were right.

Everything is temporary.

But as I glance into your eyes,

And as I watch you move across the

living room to our bedroom

I think otherwise.

Colors may fade,

Pain may disappear,

Happiness may wither.

But our love does not.

True love.

True love does not run when wet,

It does not fade when washed,

the colors shine bright forever.

Time will not make love disappear,

Love lasts from January to December. While happiness may wither,

Love will not.

You and I sit in a room.

Rain beating at the windows,

And we say I love you.

Our words resonate against the walls,

Reflecting off the window,

Bouncing off the bed,

You kiss me,

And write your love on my lips with your

tongue.

The temporary ink runs off the napkin,

But this kiss is permanent ink,

Ink on my lips that spells out, I love you.

Years from now I will remember the

words on my lips “I love you”

I will not have forgotten.

Love is not temporary.

Not with you.