I Forget His Face

I forget his face
his smell
his laugh
I remember the scratches on his middle knuckle,
the bruises that wrapped around those red lines
red lines on my ivory skin
three lines
one drop of blood
I remember the pain
the cold sweats
the smell of his shirt—musk, and amber.
That was a long time ago.
an entire lifetime past

The day we met, I forgot to tie my shoelaces.
I fell, hard… on my knees.
You laughed,
You smiled,
I…me…she was gone.

When you woke me up
dressed in blue, from collar bone to ankle,
You smiled again...
I was found.

I won’t,
I couldn’t,
I will never forget
your face.
Yours.