I Left a Sharpie in the Wash

Everything’s been coming up blue, lately.

The stars, your favorite shoes,

The whistle of regret that brushes past my cheek.

The stain on the blanket that doesn’t come out

Regardless of how many times I wash it.

I run the bar of soap over the splotch of ink

And watch the water run from my fingers.

It never ends.

You’re all laughing in the other room,

I can hear you, but I can’t stop washing.

My skin has wrinkled under the heat and

Though I keep working out the words in my head

I still can’t make my voice cooperate to say

“I love you.”

That first moment is precious, and

I’ve been preserving it ever since

You held my hand in the dark

And didn’t once ask me

To turn on the light.