I see your muscled back turn away from me as you stir in your sleep, your face so calm and gentle faces me now and I hope my astounded gaze does not wake you up. How did this beautiful person become mine? I count the days that I will last see your face, for I know what you are hiding.
I know that you’re tired of me, I know that the end is near for you and me; as silence tells me everything that you don’t say because you don’t want to hurt me in any way. I know, love, and I promise I’ll break it to you soon.
Allow me to lift the burden on your shoulders; that when you come home at night tired from work, all you have to do is rest and be at peace with the TV on, pizza and a beer in your hand and not worry about anybody else but you.
Allow me to smooth out your life as I know that the rigid road has bruised you too much to move, allow me to remove the hook stuck on your lips when you were fished out of the sea.
Allow me to remove the burden that is me
I know, love, that I no longer help you grow, that I no longer aid your wounds and end your suffering. That I’m no longer the smile on your face, the beat of your heart and the mate to your soul; but love, I know that you will find her.
And when you do, please tell her how lonely it was at nights when you couldn’t see her face or hear her voice. Tell her how you would bring your chariot with your white horses, your sword and your shield and fight through battles just to reach her. Tell her how you asked the Gods and Saints to give you strength and keep you safe, so you could go through war for her.
Show her how you waded your sword through your enemy’s chest because the thought of not coming home to her frightened you. Show her how much you missed her, longed for her and love her through the gentleness of your thrusts as you enter her.
Court her with the best of you and love her with all of you, show her how she is behind every smile, laugh and triumph in your life.
Protect her like you were Davy Jones and she was your treasure, treat her like Cleopatra and make her feel so beautiful, show her how you are ready to move mountains and terrains just to see a smile on her face.
Show her how she was a part of your soul by making her see you at your most vulnerable and allow her to be the best of you; show her that if you ever were to lose her, you would lose yourself too.
Love, I know all these because that is how I am with you.
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Trish Perez is a 22-year-old public-relations professional, event host and freelance artist and model. She is a graduate of the Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila with a Bachelor’s degree in Mass Communication major in Public Relations. Perez’s poem is her first contribution to Y2Z.