Once

• Aliya Feng, Grade 10
• Poetry
• 2020

Once on a clean sheet of white paper
He wrote in bright red crayon, “I love you”
And put it in her letterbox
And she giggled and showed her mummy

Once on a page torn from his notebook
He wrote in careful dark pencil, “I think you’re cute”
And put it on her desk
And she laughed and rolled her eyes and showed her friends

Once on the back of a wedding invitation
He wrote in neat blue fountain pen, “Congratulations”
And put it under the plate
And she didn’t giggle or laugh or roll her eyes because she didn’t see it

Once on a clean sheet of white paper
He wrote in bright red crayon, “I love you”
And put it on top of her coffin
And she smiled in her peaceful sleep, because she thought it was her husband.