The marker meets your hairline
You smile because the felt is cool against your skin
Even as I am warm
And I trace down your nose
Your chin
Your neck
Until I split your collarbone in two
And then I follow the center of your sternum
And think how often I’ve ignored it
In favor of either side
On down to your belly button
Which I divide with an iron curtain of red
You bite your lip
And I venture on
Until there’s no more ways I can half you
So I draw more lines
Graphing you out like a map
Sorting you into tiny squares
.73 inches squared
The perfect size for
A kiss
On the first square
A1
Then A2
With a collection of kids’ washable markers
I color you in
A chart of what you love from me
Red for the lines
Filled blue for the tickle
Yellow for a smile
Pink for a contented whimper
And that’s how I memorized you
.73 inches squared at a time
