Photography © Linda Matthews-Denham

 

I Like For You to Be Here
For Antonio

A response to “I Like For You to Be Still” by Pablo Neruda

I like for you to be here, hip pressed against mine,
arm slung so casually around my shoulders. Our bodies woven together.
I like for your fingers to be entwined with mine
while your eyes dream of things far away. I dream of touching your soul,
filling my soul with your absence.
I like for you to be here, body pressed into mine,
beard brushing against lips you have sealed w kisses. My heart thunders
like a kaleidoscope of butterflies trapped by words unspoken.
I like for you to be still so I can learn the pattern of your heartbeat. I
revel in the comfort of your staccato silence. Your stillness is like
thunder and rain and the smell of ozone after a sudden summer storm.
I like for you to be here, hip pressed against mine, arm slung so casually
around my shoulders, holding me close to your heart. Let me whisper into
your heart so it will be my confidant, quiet and still while my love rages
around us.

 

Jaime Nelson is a cat herder, crochet artist, and single parent located in Arkansas. When she’s not playing chauffeur to her teenager, she enjoys Netflix and lounging around.

Linda Matthews-Denham lives in the countryside along the Thames River in Berkshire, England. Her passion is photography, photo restoration and art history of Paris. She also works very closely with many British authors restoring images for publication.