The Altar

Free Verse Poem

When I think about my future,

I see you-

someone I have not met,

yet already know as my forever.

I picture the way your eyes find mine-

brown, green, or blue,

it doesn’t matter,

only that they soften when they see me,

only that they recognize me as home.

I see the way you smile,

as if you’ve been waiting for me too,

as if love has always been leading us here.

I hear your laughter-

a melody I do not yet know,

but one I’ll recognize the moment it plays,

a sound that turns ordinary moments into

something sacred.

I think about how we’ll dance in the kitchen-

bare feet on cool tile,

spinning between simmering pots and open

arms,

showing our children what love looks like

without needing to say a word.

I imagine the way your hand

will find mine,

fitting as if it were meant to there,

a silent promise-

unwavering, steady.

And in all the ways I dream of you,

I know-

one day, you will be real.