Last in a series

Goodbye, my love.  I knew this day would come
   The day we said hello.  It was built in
Like painful death’s built in to martyrdom,
   Like guilt and punishment are part of sin.
This farewell was foretold by our hello.
   I felt it when my eyes locked onto yours
And saw not light but promised afterglow--
   Not open windows, but two unclosed doors.
Our first kiss mingled wine with whiskey’s heat, 
   A kiss that held two promises: the one
We couldn’t keep, and this one--bittersweet--
   Love’s final kiss, waiting like Chekhov’s gun.
       Close the book, sweetheart.  Close those sad eyes too.
       This sonnet is my final kiss to you.

Copyright 2011 Matthew J Wells