Never Underestimate the Importance of

Your clothes scattered across the floor,

Somehow never making it to the laundry basket.

I find your socks in the crevices of the couch cushions,

Your t-shirts at the bottom of our closet,

And somehow, I’d find myself wearing your oversized hoodies. 

Your toothpaste stains in the sink kept reappearing 

Even after I’d cleaned them. 

A memory of the joy we’d had the night before,

Of cooking dinner together and dancing to Taylor Swift in the bathroom just a few hours later.

We laughed so hard the toothpaste would come flying out, staining the sink and mirror all over again. 

I miss the weekend mornings when you’d be rushing out the door

Only to forget your keys to the car. 

You’d come back inside and I’d give you a kiss,

Readjust your work hat and say goodbye.

Twelve hours later I’d surprise you by standing in the driveway, my arms wide open for your embrace.

The summer of 25’ was the calm before the storm,

Before long-distance calls and messages would become our reality.

Five-hundred-forty-seven miles apart.

A number memorized not out of obsession,

But reminding me of what I am fighting for.