I do not think there will ever come a day I do not miss you.

that is love I think,

to leave someone and find that five years later you are still carrying them with you,

to halve your hearts and stitch them together into a whole that is forged (rather than born)—

I am in you as you are in me,

no matter the time or the distance between.

I still see the boy you were

in the man you are—

when you smile

a ghost comes to life,

city static morphs to pine tree songs and fresh air starlight.

Can I still be the girl I was

when holding hands

and birthday parties

meant this is love,

when my whole world was a bike ride away

and I still had the tin-can string line memorized.

Your smile says, yes,

says, remember, remember

PB&J and chocolate milk lunch

remember, remember

playground blush

remember, remember

you were all that I wanted,

all that I needed.

remember, remember

your smile brings past to present

remember, remember

Take me back to the trees.

To the starlight

and the river.

Take me back to easy smiles,

to your hand in mine—

there is magic to be found in these living memories,

they tie us together.

943 miles

I am in you as you are in me,

no matter the time or the distance between.

That is love I think,

to leave someone and find that 943 miles apart you are still carrying them with you.