UNSENT LETTERS TO MY FIRST LOVE

i stare at my mirror and a widow stares back
10 years since my husband passed
yet i still brush my hair for him
i stare at my mirror and i see the lines around my eyes
i have grown to be tired and bitter

i tap on the mirror and i finally see
my old friend Rumi staring back at me
i remember her infectious laugh, her almond eyes, and her dimpled smile
in our youth we were inseparable

but our love wasn’t understood by all
and suddenly one night her father saw
Rumi staring lovingly into my eyes
and somehow he knew
our friendship transcended the boundaries of time and his worldview

the next morning my Rumi was gone

i am nearly 50 years old now but i still remember
those nights we dreamt of running away
the nights we lost sleep, laying on open fields, counting the stars above
i am nearly 50 years old yet i still carry with me
all those unsent letters to my first love