Do you still love me?

There it was — 
Hung in the air between us, suspended; 
Spoken, the burning question.

Did I still love him?

The weight of the years together pressed in. 
Too many lonely conversations, 
Too many dangling fights.

A look passed between us.

He longed to unravel the past.
But time stood fixed. 
His choices and priorities done.

I’m afraid you won’t be able to forgive me, he said.

And with those words,
The salve of absolution and forgetfulness 
Poured over me.

He now lays silent
In the cold grip of endless sleep. 
But his parting gift of regret has struck its mark.

Do you still love me?

The wind is now his breath.
There’s a hushed silence, 
As creation bends close to hear.

Did I still love him?

A broken heart, time healed;
Remembrances, sorrow sweetened.
My tears answer yes.