thank you for the memento
this piece of you for
my knick knack shelf

your kisses are gone

your rough palm
over my mouth
and the five olive bruises
on my forearm will
fade with time

so i’m glad you left me
something i could treasure
and that time will
not take away

i can look at it until the
light of day fades
and even then

i will always know
that it is there

     (First published in The Legendary, 2009)