A Note for Later ….

You were too young to remember
all that I need to explain.
Events defy ordering, prolong
earnest silence between us.
Days, if not fine, are merely great.

Our bond was forged reading stories,
tackling in the grass, laughter.
Hide and seek, made our own way.
Secluded long enough for suspense and fun.
Before I went away.

Nighttime walks became a maze.
Starry skies confounded,
dots connected and reconnected.
New meanings revealed
out of the open space.
Each word and glance a signal to me,
the subject of some experiment,
whose end slipped further from sight.

Behind blanched walls and buzzing doors,
so much for you not to know.
Your second birthday shared
with me in that place.
Crumbling cake, frosting smeared across
covered foam cushions.

You climbed on me and patted my face.