A Secret Ceremony

you were standing up there
high above
my seat in the pews

your smile awoke my heart
a deep breath
only your warmth can muster

your golden fingertips
touched the air
traced the falling sunlight

every word spoken
from the pastor below
added color to your cheeks

every promise made
every look stolen
you watched from above
smiling

they kissed
i flinched
your eyes told me to look closer

fathers eyes were crinkled
watching a woman
with such intensity

pulling her close
giving her a ring
sharing something
unexplainable

i glanced up
as the softness in the chapel
began to fade

your image growing fuzzy
but your idea never lost

the way you clicked your teeth
put your hair behind your ears

spoke to me in French
hugged me close before bed

told me you loved me

i will never forget you

i feel you everyday
i see you in my dreams
my thoughts

i see you when i talk to my friends
when their eyes light up
they laugh
they remind me of you
not by blood
but by love

all around me
are people that have love
they feel it
they share it
they keep it
they find themselves in it

and with you and me
i will always know it