I placed a poem upon a shelf

And hoped that someone would read it

I got back later to find

That it was still untouched

And all I ever wanted was some gratitude

I placed a cup upon a window ledge

Slowly, the rain came and eventually began to fill it

Alas, not all the way to the brim, and I was left wanting

Frustrated, I cursed the sky that had suddenly dried up

All I ever wanted was a cup full of rainwater

I placed a small handkerchief in the pocket of my son's shirt

On a bright summer morning, before he went to school

I had hoped that it would remain unsullied and pristine in his pocket

But he suffered a nosebleed and wiped the blood away with it

All I ever wanted was something pure

I wished upon a star one night as a boy

Alone and with no one to bother me, I reveled in the sheer excitement of it

I wished for all of the star like things that a boy would wish for

As I grew older, my wishes became fewer, narrower, more focused

And all I would ever wish for was a wedding day

And so I reached the end of my travels

Weary and alone, I rested upon a mountain top, taking in the enormous view

And with no one to bother me, I thought of you

And the gratitude you would give me while we were still together

And I wept as I thought of all of your kisses and breaths