dear Ollie,
I know you can’t touch my face
hear my laughter or taste my
I love you’s from an empty plate
next to yours
that doesn’t mean I’m not with you
I know I can’t hold your hand
bathe in your morning breath or smell your love you too’s in leftover
portion foils
that doesn’t mean you’re not with me
I’m not in the lead of your pencil
I’m the eraser hugging you
saying it’s okay
I’m not in the whisper of your pillow
I’m the blanket big enough
to shovel warmth on your toes
I’m not in the depths of your heart
I’m the shoelace double knot
that makes it beat
son,
just because I’m not there
doesn’t mean I don’t want to be
I need you like com
needs plete
my cheeks weep
for your here now fingers
&
your grin traces
inhaled molecules
you are my salt
in a world without spice
I outline my palms
in maybe tomorrow’s
wash my face
in missed birthdays
bake my dinner
in sauteed missteps
the only mistakes
you can make
come from breaking pencils
I have more blank pages
than smudges
I shiver in the silence
of sunrise
&
an imprint that became
a permanent ink stain
my heart has a 4.0
in an obsolete degree
one day
com
will plete
in the ampersand
of you
&
me
love,
dad
About the Author
Bryan Grissom graduated from Hardin-Simmons University with a degree in English Literature. His personal blog, Somewhere In-Between, and art submissions blog, Broken Souls Uploads are hosted on Tumblr. He is currently working on his first book of poetry. A strong advocate for family and mental health issues, he hopes to change perspectives through raw and direct verse.
Follow him on instagram: instagram.com/bggrizzo
