POEM: "To Alyssa" (Second Draft)

To Alyssa (second draft)
You are my
Other half of the queen-size
My how was your day

The love you give to me
can feel like life’s one prize
Helping me to breathe
enough to get out of my own way

Even at times when I don’t know what to do
Coming home to you feels right
Spending long and fleeting moments
Lost in the comfort of you

From the rush and panic of life
To the quiet of a warm,
soft and slow nothing

Where I am your breath
        Your smell
        Your heat and heartbeat
        Your presence, and nothing more
Wrapped in your arms, wrapped in you
my slippers, my cap, my blanket, my warm drink, my fire, my hatchet, my waterproof matches,
my last lasting shreds of hope for rescue
As I rest my head to sleep, I can know that I have traded the roller-coaster
dips, heaves, lurches, and drops
Of our new and uncertain passions
For the sword and suit of armor
Of our persistent, tested
Love and commitment
To each other
As we step into the future
to make the best of this life
Together.

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