Regret

I wish I had learned to love you less...

touched the half-moon of your nails,

kissed your eyelids when you dream,

and kept your flowing river in my veins.

In my dreams, you are the touch

that connects the stars to my fingertips,

the affectionate warmth on my frigid skin.

In my dreams, you are the voice

that speaks of endless blossoming summers,

of heart songs and growing old together.

I wish I was there to lessen your sorrow

and grieve your unspoken grief,

cradle your head in gentle slumber,

and shelter the distance that you crave.

Instead I lay in the hammock of days spent

bathing in the smile beneath your eyelashes

un-kissed; longing to hear the echoes

of bursting stars inside my head...

I wish I had learned to love you less.