I Can Wait For

I purposely forget what you look like 
so each time I see you I am surprised 
again by your beauty. Your name is the 
charm I offer nervous cats instead of 
plates of milk. You walk toward me and I 
am not God, for he taketh not pleasure 
in the legs of a man. This half is now. 
The other half, I can wait for. You are 
not the ghost who haunts my house, but you will 
be. I will know the wall you lean against 
to watch me put up my hair. I’ll smell which 
pillow you sleep on. I’ll find your finger 
prints on books, on flowers, and recognize 
the echo of sounds you make asleep. I 
will never forget what you look like. Your 
name will be the charm I offer all life. 
I will love you because you surprise me. 
I will love you because you breathe.