With or without you playing in the background.

You’re swaying in your lover’s arms.

He’s holding you close.

He’s holding you tight.

You know no harm can reach you.

You’re safe.

Forever.

Forever seems to be more short-lived than you had imagined.

The hold loosens as the days go by.

Soon, it’s lost,

Though only to be replaced by another firm hand.

Once again, you know no harm can reach you.

You’re safe.

For another ever.

Years go by.

Many hands have come and gone,

Each making you feel like they have been tailor made to fit yours.

Each giving you the ‘forever’ feeling.

You rollercoaster through emotions you didn’t know you were capable of.

You shuttle between zeniths of exhilaration and nadirs of despair.

As soon as you fall into the seemingly bottomless pit of sorrow,

Positive that you don’t deserve that ‘happily ever after’,

There he is.

He’s lying there to cushion your fall.

There to make you believe again.

But now there you are.

There you are, in that ‘forever’ embrace.

There you are,

With him,

In the house that you made a home together.

There you are,

Looking on as your children play ,

The sound of their laughter filling the air

With the kind of joy only your own child can bring you.

In that moment you know.

(And I see it in your smile, that grows wider and wider)

There will be no more nadirs.

There will be no more searches.

This was it.

Your eyes had found the perfect eyes to look into,

That look back at you the same way.

Your arms were now for more than just a lover’s embrace.

They were now home to your family.

That firm hand,

The one that fit best into yours,

Was now holding other hands as well,

And each fit perfectly.

The forever you were waiting for, all your life, was here.

That one moment and you say “Thank you”

That one moment and it was all worthwhile.

That one moment and you give yourself away..

(Photograph : Bournemouth, 2009)