Parts of a whole

And to think

I knew only a small part of him

Before I lost him:

I wish I could have memorized his smile

Because now when I dream of him I can only see one thing at a time:

His eyes, his hair, his hands

And it's hard to know someone when all I have left of him is a few pictures and a fragmented memory.

But you. You are different.

I am beginning to know all of you

Even the parts I don't like:

The ways in which you're an unsteady ship

Sometimes drifting towards me, sometimes far away.

I have memorized your formula for small talk,

Your changing eyes,

Your unforgettable smile

but when I look at you I can only see one part of you at a time:

your eyes, your hair, your hands

When I think of you I see you in your entirity,

and I see flowers growing

and I see hope left for us.

With you so closeby I can hardly breathe,

With you so far away I can hardly think.

As you become more real

he fades away,

until all I have left is his still, unmoving picture

his unchanging eyes

and forgettable smile.