Birthdays
Its my birthday
And you came home early to take me out for a late lunch at a local diner.
It’s the 44th birthday we have been together —
Which makes me over the hill —
But inside I feel like a kid again
When you smile at me across the table
And your eyebrows raise knowingly when I crack a lame joke
And I feel a burst of untethered happiness
I am beyond content
It’s just the two of us again
Children like baby birds have left the roost
Creating their own nests and offspring
But I have always felt safe with you by my side
And just us is still more than enough
You are napping now
Stomach full as the afternoon sun dips
And I silently watch you sleep
As I pour out my thoughts in poetry
And I realize -my own epiphany of sorts-
for as many birthdays that fate bestows on me
I hope they will always be with you by my side
