Just give it time

I'm going to bury the remains of you in a leather trunk,

with a bundle of Dorothy Parker's old love letters from the 20's,

a vinyl record of Henry Mancini's greatest hits,

a Victrola needle I used to prick my finger, half a pack of Old Golds,

a pair of red vintage crocodile heels, a red silk slip,

a pocket watch from Paris, a first edition of Stoker's journal and notes,

several linen handkerchiefs -all with your initials, an orange brass lighter,

broken glass from the time we broke our wine stems

against that hearth in Rome, a bottle of tears from

our laughter, a silver powder case of fine food after glow,

a smoking jacket you loved, the pipe you used to smoke in it,

leather bound 1st editions of our favorite authors,

all the marble rooks from that chess set, eyelashes

from the years all with the same wish upon them,

starlight from the times we made love on the ceiling,

crushed white pepper, an old classical guitar worn from wear,

light blue tile from Japan, an old set of scary surgical tools,

crushed orange roses from a river side vendor,

a brown suitcase with stickers of our travels,

candle wax residue, and a red stain on a pillow case.

I'm taking all of it and I'm putting it into the earth.

To settle, and simmer below.

And in a few years, I will come back to it, when it is ready,

and I will open it to find our love.