apart

From "Somewhere I Have Never Traveled," by E. E. Cummings in Complete Poems: 1904-1962:

Give your hearts, but not into each other's keeping.
For only the hand of Life can contain your hearts.
And stand together, yet not too near together:
For the pillars of the temple stand apart,
And the oak tree and the cypress grow not in each other's shadow.

This is one of my favorite poems about marriage. One that my husband and I have followed closely. Yet, today my heart aches as he prepares to leave for his annual retreat to the Canadian Wilderness. I worry about his safety and hope that he returns unmauled by distracted grizzly bears... He always has. Mainly, I will be so lonely without him. Although we do not live in each other's shadows, I must admit I am slightly lost without him.