I hate to admit you
are the closest thing to romance
I’ve known in this lifetime
You, blunt and unyielding
elbows deep in labor
endless and hard
at the edges
strong enough to hold me
but wise enough not to
and that is why we work
side by side without touching
in eternal safety
no fleeting messages from a fickle heart
no stolen glances of desire unspoken
no fortnight of misfortune and misplaced affection
only you and me
your roots digging deep and mine reaching for heaven
still seeking love, praying this isn’t
as good as it gets
before I join you six feet deep in the earth
