He wrapped tightly wound coils around his fingers
Smoothing the frayed kinks with his thumb
His eyes, like blue goldstone, sparkled
Tiny, gold flecks glittered as sunlight poured into the room
Flooding his face with a magical glow
As if his face was a gift from the Old Gods
Left on my doorstep

His lips, shaped like the perfect bow
Soft and dark
Were the ribbons that I got to unwind
The tip of his ochre nose
Was the thin piece of tape
That, when I touched it just right
Released the gift of his smile and a full-bodied laugh
That reverberated on the surface of my skin

I could stay like this
Counting the almost black freckles
Scattered across his cheeks
Until my breath became weak
And my mind began to fade

But I wouldn’t
Because the thought of existing without him
Whether here or somewhere else in time and space
Filled me with a sadness I never knew existed
Yes, I could survive it
But question was
Would I want to?