Love is a privilege given to all

to take

or not.

Your call this morning

yanked me out of sweet sleep.

Your first words,

“I love you.  I miss you”

woke me like a bucket of cold water

splattered

against my warm body…

I stopped you,

halting all of your jabbing

slurring into the morning light.

You needed to be heard

and when you finished

the mumble jumble of puzzled words

I hung up to wash you off my spirit.

I stood in a hot steaming shower,

placed my face against the cold tile

as the water scolded me

and I stared at the smoke rising

realizing the difference between us:

I think in colors, pretty shapes, and music.

You think in darkness, straight lines and equations.

I need you to release the colors I placed

in your heart a while ago.

Let me have my love back.

I can’t breathe without that return.

My colors obviously cannot light

the gloom you continue to carry,

but I will always love you

more than the privilege deserves.