Graveyard of Airplanes

In my dream you offered a beautiful emerald ring
You loved me still-
you said,
We are fire and meant to be together

You looked older and sad,
blurring around the edges like a picture
out of focus,
not like yourself at all

I chose a different man, long ago
He was earth and water and patience,
I fell into the cool, dark pool of his lips,
water sizzled against my heated skin

Seeing you,
if only in the quiet of my mind,
stirred my memories
I could see the graveyard of airplanes,
hear the music we made
How easy it was for me to sparkle next to you,
the unexpected circumstance
My fire became addicted to yours-
building each other up higher and higher
There was no way down from those great heights

In the dream, you said-
He cannot make you feel the way I can
He will not make you shine
You tried to put the ring onto my hand
I begged for more time,
as if our choices were not yet made

I remembered the warmth of being next to you,
sitting on the bed of your truck
and staring at the broken field of planes
Loving you was simple,
except for the fear-
Afraid it would ignite me
with nothing left but a pile of ash
Knowing you would eventually leave me
I would see it coming, and regretfully understand
Love would break me against you

Still, dreaming of us
awoke the parts that always ache
I would have sweetly died over you

I chose again the one made of earth and water,
gave him light and music, and crackling joy
I knew the edges of myself with him,
loved him across oceans

In the dream we both knew what I was going to say-
Emeralds do not belong to me and you
If our love was to be, it would have survived the graveyard