Pearl Earrings

I’ve lost my other earring. They were both there a second ago.
Lying side by side in a porcelain dish upon my vanity.
I reached for one and flashed on him, laughing; and
As I pushed its shaft through my earlobe and secured the clasp,
I thought of him again.

Gentle thoughts.

The way he sits when he’s talking excitedly
The sound of his voice in different moods
The wonderful way he reasons things out, his smile.
How grateful I am for the times we’ve shared
And the things he’s so lovingly, patiently, taught me.

And I thought about how I show my love to him.
That I enjoy doing little kindnesses, being of service
And I thought about what I understand as love from others
And how much I’m learning about who I am.

I’m discovering what gives me joy, and what makes me afraid.
I’m developing a taste in music, art, literature and life that is my own.
And as I learn to know myself more intimately
I can stay in the moment for longer and longer periods of time.

Although, today I went from Heaven to Hell and back again.
Now I feel a bit like my own puppeteer,
Dancing myself upon the stage.
As I sit here wearing one earring,
Enjoying this love I so profoundly feel and knowing I am, finally,
Coming home.