In Plain Sight

“Midnight” — Nautilus
I.R.

It's the way you fix your glasses when they slide down your nose and you put them back up in a swift movement, a familiar motion.

It's the way you brush your hair to the side, your right hand runs through an unruly mane of dark curls, recalcitrant like their master.

And it's the way you say my name, tenderly and not quite landing the consonants, yet somehow inhabiting it fully, with your voice as deep as the ocean. 

Devotion that I caught in your eyes when I glanced up, your whole face melting like honey on a sunny day, washing me over, sweet, ambrosian.

And when you took my hand it's like you knew what to do all along, long before we met.

How do you know when to hold my elbow and when to let go of me instead?

And my heartbeat slows down and I'm breathing steady, your presence - an antidote to my restless jitters and anxious thoughts. 

What secret alchemy, matching constellations, no second guessing and connecting dots?

And you have no idea how your face lights up when I point out a silly reference, your raucous laughter erupting the air like thunder.

Your whole being immersed in the story I'm telling, your thoughtful eyes taking in every twist and turn, giving in to the spell that we're both under.

And you have no clue how I long to hear your musings about the most mundane parts of your day, what's been bothering you at work —

Your music that stays with me like a warm embrace, light and gentle, weaving in covert incantations, and I'm hanging onto every word.

I wish you knew what integrity you exude, what force,

Like someone with both feet on the ground, someone who stays the course.

And you improvise, and you play by ear,

Yet in all this scorn you remain sincere.

And I wish the whole world could hear what immense talent you possess —

Transmitting beauty and elegance in the drab and grey, what sheer guilelessness you luminesce.

Seeing beauty and elegance in the world around you, sensing warmth and depth in me,

And my guard is down, my pretence is gone, my bravado dissolves into smithereens.

And I wonder if you feel my presence when I pass by your house and look up to see if you're out smoking or checking your phone,

And I hope you are doing better, whether in a loud, crowded room, centre stage, or on your own.

Your music that stays with me like a promise, a secret passage into the world unknown,

I am leaving you with a message, the sound of my voice, a ball of thread and a fire stone.