To The Bone

I love you to the bone

I love every piece of you

All the pieces you don't

That face you pull for strangers

The voice you assume on the phone

And I'm so glad that you let me in

You are not a prize for me to win

But with every piece we share

I'm a kid at county fair

And you are the giant teddy bear

I love you to the sea

I love you like the tidal wave

That cast me away

When it washed me back to shore

The first arms that found me were yours

And I'm so glad that you found me there

Half asleep with seaweed in my hair

The mermaid and the sailor, half a decade later

You and I were still the perfect pair

Then came rings and a house

Sixty years or thereabouts

And still, I'm searching for the perfect way to say

I love you to the earth

I love that you love Hemingway

And the first hint of May

And daffodils and oil spills

And mountains made from molehills

And I hate that I know

All that makes your garden grow

What to do with all of this once I'm alone?

I love you to the bone

I love every beat of you

Every measure and note

And so if I stand the chance

May I ask you for this dance?

Yes, I'm so glad that you found me here

And made the choice to love me all these years

Though I can't return the favour

That the mermaid lent the sailor

Oh my dear, you've been my saviour

And every second spent with you is worth the tears