Tonight is the last night
before a year swallows the distance
between us.

I’ve tried to hold my heart steady,
but it learned her name
too quickly —
and now it beats in her direction
without asking me first.

She has taken more of me
than many ever could —
with a glance,
with a laugh,
with the quiet way
she catches my eyes
and doesn’t let go.

I will miss her
like I’ve known her forever,
and when the days stretch long and empty,
I will remember
how she made me forget the rest of the world
just by being in it.