Goodbye Kiss

I have a doctor appointment this morning
No big deal, just my annual physical
I should have left five minutes ago
Because I absolutely hate being late
Let's see, I think I have everything
My lunch bag, my iced tea, and a jacket
Now all I need is to say goodbye to you
You're busy fixing something to eat
And have your back to me
So, I just kiss you on the shoulder
And tell you that I love you
Then with all my stuff in hand
I head out the door
But as I stand here on the porch
With my hand on the knob
About to pull the door shut
Something makes me stop
Right before the lock catches
I just can't do it
I can’t pull the door closed
Fuck it, doctor appointment be damned
Arriving late be damned
In a split second the decision is made
I simply can't leave this way
Without a proper goodbye kiss
In a flash I wonder how many times
I've rushed off this way, I don't know
Probably more than I care to count
But not today, no, not today
Pushing the door back open
And stepping into the kitchen
I see you, still standing there
Where you were mere seconds ago
Your head turns towards me
And you look at me
With this knowing smile
You already know
What I came back for
What I want, what I need
What I can't leave without
Neither of us speak
I step closer and lean in until our lips meet
And we kiss a proper goodbye this time
Now as I close the door behind me
I smile, happy that I went back to do it right
Knowing that I'll never regret
Taking the time to let you know
How important you are to me
That I couldn't leave
Without a goodbye kiss

9.22.09

CMT

Author's Notes

I have this thing about being late for appointments. I just can't stand it, so I usually pad the time needed to get there by ten to fifteen minutes, just in case something happens that I might need extra time for. Like if there's a car accident, and I need time to get around it or come up with an alternate route.

Anyway, it was a typical morning of me rushing around trying to get ready to go. Then as I stood on the porch, in that instant I actually stopped and thought about what I was about to do, and I didn't like how I was leaving Kodi. Most of the time that moment comes once I’m already in the car, backing out of the drive or going up our street, when I don't feel like there's much of anything I can do about the feeling. But fortunately, this time it happened soon enough where I was able to act on the impulse. I think both of us were glad I did. And I still arrived early for my appointment.

Plus, I knew with how happy I felt when I left that I'd write about it. I liked how the poem turned out. And for that matter so did Kodi. I wrote the poem at work and sent it to her that afternoon. When I got home, I figured that Kodi hadn’t seen it yet or she would have said something. So, I asked her if she’d checked her email recently. She replied, "Do I need to?" We both went into the office, Kodi opened her mail and read the poem. Then she leaned over and kissed me.