i love you in the same way 
that a wave crashes
then comes up slowly
to kiss your feet.

 

out of your sight
i am crashing.
salt spraying and mingling with sand
to form tiny bullets
that will pierce your skin
if you get too close.

 

out of your reach i am violent
                             i am broken
                             i am scattered into a million pieces.

 

i am the wave
the millions of drops of water
                    of particles of sand
                    of shards of shells.

 

that's who i am when i'm away from you.

 

but then...

            here you are.

 

i am reformed.

 

the drops of water come together into
a single uniform thing.
i pick up the sand and the shells
and i bring them to you.

 

the newer,
   wholer me
comes to you.

 

i run over you
covering you with all i am
        bringing you all i have.

 

i wash over you, kissing your toes
                                       your feet
                                       your ankles.

 

i am with you
i am whole.

 

you gave me the strength to stitch myself together
      i hope i've brought you the happiness you've given me.

 

but all too soon, i must go.
i feel you dig your toes into the sand
and try to hold onto me.

 

and my heart aches for you, breaks for you
because all i want is to stay with you too
and i know the way you feel deep down inside.

 

but i have to go.
it's the way we work, love
      it's what fate decided for us.

 

and fate doesn't like to be disobeyed.

 

and so i retreat into the open ocean,
in a rush of seafoam and salt water

 

i leave you.

 

but i am content 
because i know i will be back soon.

 

and i may be broken when i arrive,
but i will be whole when i leave.

 

all thanks to you, baby.

 

because i love you
              so
              so much.

 

and that makes all the pain i feel worth it