i want to take the parts of you i love
and write them down
take a photo and tuck them in the
pages of my journal that are
               all about you

and i want to take the pieces
you hate about yourself
and stitch them next to the
             heart on my sleeve
so you realize that once upon a time
i truly loved all of you

at times i still want to explore you
walk through the forest of your mind
and know all the tidbits
that you've hid from everyone else

i want to wrap up the good parts of what we had
in my grandma's lace handkerchief
and place it in a wooden box
push it back on the top shelf of my closet
to remember

to forget