if this comes as a surprise to you, i hope it is a happy one

National Poetry Month 2020:

i hope you never realize this one is about you

In all the stress and hustle of the last few weeks of life, I nearly forgot that one of my favorite times of the year is upon us: National Poetry Month. I usually try to challenge myself to write at least one poem every day during this season but, due to the loops that my life has been tossed through recently, I choose to, instead, focus on a project with less deadlines but more heart. 

Over the past few months, I've been writing poems "after" people. Some read more like letters to friends and others read like confessions. I like to believe that our stories of relationships can be relatable and personal at the same time. To save postage during this time, here is the first of a series of poems/open letters I've written and will write about the people in my life and the ones who have left me along the way. Written about a year ago, here is the first selection from i hope you never realize this one is about you.

note, the seal pictured is not the person this poem is about. but it is my photo and this seal is really cool.

if this comes as a surprise to you, i hope it is a happy one

​Life has eaten its way between us.
This message has been overdue
since the beginning of time.

I’m jealous of the space between you and me
because it is that much closer to you
than I’ll ever be.

I ask for your forgiveness
and your remembrance,
though I fear I don’t deserve either.

I know the dull ache 
of a sprained memory
and the sharp pain of being forgotten.

So, if this comes as a surprise to you,
my friend,
I hope it is a happy one.

-L.V. Morton