VALENTINE

Photo by S. Auberle

VALENTINE

"There is a crack in everything.

That's how the light gets in."

- Leonard Cohen

There were times through the years,

love, I thought my heart would break.

Times it felt rough around the edges

and since I wear it out there, melting

on my sleeve, you always knew,

while your heart was (mostly)

tucked away, steadfast and quiet,

though once I saw it naked in your eyes

and didn't we both expect perfection:

that your heart would always

speak when I needed it

and that mine would hear

all your unspoken words?

Maybe growing old is just learning

to cradle each other's heart in our hands

like broken baby birds

or snowflakes melting in fists of light.

- mimi