in awe of awe,
kindness, softness, hardness, stillness,
someone familiar
who you can see in the wind,
or in the way the light shines through the silhouette trees,
someone you carry when the memory of their laugh fades,
a person to whom you give all you have.
People love a partner who stays a partner but becomes a family.
The partner who tends their garden together, who always notices and remembers.
They explain their scars and ask about your tattoos,
They are the golden hour and the best photo in the slideshow.
They kiss you in front of everyone.
Written while reading and inspired by the book "Love is for All of Us" edited by James Crews & Brad Peacock, poems of tenderness and belonging from the LGBTQ+ community and friends.