And Then, Love

And then, today is the day for love notes to be passed
from hand to hand across the aisles of school desks,
when love is just a game of teasing.
And then, one day love becomes real,
standing under an oak tree where the misting drips
drop upon a radiant, upturned face
you see for the very first time
as one who exists in their own right
and somehow becomes the empty piece
you were missing since birth.
And then, love settles into routines of care
and attention with an argument or two
about which of you should take the car
to the car wash to be cleaned.
And then, love loses the beloved,
not once, but again and again,
asking, Where did our time go?
And then, buried deep in the ground
of the heart at rest, a hand is found
to hold on to as love together draws to a close.