The Story of Us

We made love in the night; it was long and feverish
No words passed between us; I just glanced into your eyes a few times,
they gave away nothing.
The moonlight streamed in through the window,
playing over your body,
you never looked more beautiful...

You held me tight afterwards and we fell asleep together.
In the morning you were gone, without a word.
No letter on the bed stand, no warning sign.
At first I thought you were somewhere in the house, maybe making tea.
Then I grew frantic, I tumbled the house, I called out your name,
No reply came, the silence was deafening.
My body went cold, I ran to the door
It was unlocked...

I shoved it open and ran out to face reality
My sight automatically tracked down to the beach,
The boat was gone.
It was a little dinghy, no bigger than a skiff.
I couldn't see it.
It was always moored to the planks of the pier.
Now the rope was open, the oars nowhere to be seen...

The first days, I railed against everything, against the world
Then the resignation settled in.
At first all I cared for was myself, my own misery
All I wanted to know was, why?
After, all I cared about was you
Wanting to know that you were safe
and would come back to me...

So I waited
Through a torturous eternity of hours and days
Everything was different without you
The sea breeze was harsh. The salty spray from the sea hurt me
The sea gulls constant cries spoke of my loss.
Even the very air seemed different somehow...

So I consigned myself to wait
At the back of my mind always believing all this to be transitory
"Just a test", I told myself,
and I held your image fast in my mind.
The arch of your brow, the graceful curve of your face,
your azure eyes mirrored in the sea
Your voice, your touch,
your spirit close to my soul...

I walked up the hill each morning
To look out on the sea.
I had a little rock, a place to sit
and drift away on a tide of wandering
Searching for solace from those unyielding waters...

A million questions would pass through my mind
A million answers offered no comfort
I traversed that path countless times
Up the grassy knoll
Every time hoping to see something different
And though I saw nothing
Every time coming back with hope anew...

People would come there from time to time
To play on the beach, swim in the waves
Stare up the hill
At the solitary unmoving figure with the soulful eyes.
A few would approach, make conversation.
Only to depart when I said these words:
"I await my life's return to me"...

Time had passed, I don't know how much.
In that limbo of waiting, I'd bothered not with the passing of days.
I scratched at my beard...when last did I shave?
Ambling up the hill now
The trips took a little bit longer each time
And then I realised, I had grown old
And probably, so had you too...

Sometimes I would recall days gone by
When we were young, we'd play on the beach
Just yesterday in my mind, though a lifetime ago it was.
I would smile to myself, perhaps even chuckle
As I felt the hope renewed in me
Giving me strength for another day
Of hoping and seeking and waiting for you...

It was a cool morning
Grass just browning with the onset of autumn
Standing in the kitchen, a gust of wind
blew through the house
I jerked up my head
The air felt strange
I stared out the open door
And then I ran...

Out to face the crisp dawn air
Up the grassy hill
Old legs carrying me back to my youth
Past the rock where I would sit
With eyes that never left the calm blue waters
And then I see it, or am I imagining?
A little dot on the horizon
Resolving itself into boat
A little dinghy, no bigger than a skiff...

My heart lifts, to soar with sea gulls
You're standing in the boat, holding fast to the sails
Bobbing on the waves; steadily drawing near.
The distance in between seems to take forever...

With my next breath, the boat's beached on the sand
You jump out hurriedly, splashing in the shallow water
Looking up, your hair flutters in the slight breeze
But then there's a moment when our eyes meet, and we freeze
our thoughts bridging the gap between us...

We're running
The sea breeze gentle, its salty spray caressing our faces
Sea gulls constant cries, echoing shouts of delight
The air is a balm to my wounded soul...

In my arms, it feels like you've never been gone
And the entire world just falls away
Cocooned in our moment
You tuck your head into me, hiding your face in my chest
For the longest time, just standing there
With no words leaving our lips, for no words are needed.
In my waiting I always knew
I would have waited till the end of time and beyond...

Our breathing calms down,
I don't want to loosen my grip on you
For fear I might just be dreaming.
You gaze up into my face
Azure eyes that mirror the sea
All my questions are dashed away
All my wandering flung out to sea...

Running my fingers through your hair,
through silky strands flecked with grey.
You never looked more beautiful.
You caress my face and I know what you're thinking
"When last did he shave?"

Then you smile, a little smile
More reflected in your eyes than in your face
The smile a story of your journey
Telling me tales your words cannot
And then I smile back, reassuring you
Words are not needed, I have all I want
The story of us has only just begun...