Love is a privilege given to allto takeor not.Your call this morningyanked me out of sweet sleep.Your first words,“I love you.  I miss you”woke me like a bucket of cold watersplatteredagainst my warm body…I stopped you,halting all of your jabbingslurring into the morning light.You needed to be heardand when you finishedthe mumble jumble of puzzled wordsI hung up to wash you off my spirit.I stood in a hot steaming shower,placed my face against the cold tileas the water scolded meand I stared at the smoke risingrealizing the difference between us:I think in colors, pretty shapes, and music.You think in darkness, straight lines and equations.I need you to release the colors I placedin your heart a while ago.Let me have my love back.I can’t breathe without that return.My colors obviously cannot lightthe gloom you continue to carry,but I will always love youmore than the privilege deserves.