The Weight of Open Roads

A cycle of poems «Your Kiss Tasted Like a Late-Night Regret»

Your suitcase sat beside the door,
Keys in hand, heart on the floor.
You said, “I need to find my way” -
But left me drowning in the gray.

I watched you vanish in the rearview,
Dust and dawn and dreams askew.
You chased the wind, I held the ground -
Now silence is the only sound.

Oh, the weight of open roads,
Is heavier than love you’ve known.
You took the sky, I kept the stone -
Now I’m lost and you’re alone.
Every mile you drove away
Turned my “us” to yesterday.
You wanted freedom, wild and wide…
But freedom’s got a lonesome tide.

You used to dream with both feet still,
Curl in my arms against the chill.
Said, “One day, we’ll roam the coast” -
But you left me for the ghost
Of who you thought you’d be out there,
With desert winds and thinner air.
I begged you stay, you kissed my cheek -
Said, “Love, this is what I seek.”

I tracked your posts - mountains, trains,
Smiles in unfamiliar lanes.
You looked free… but your eyes lied -
I saw the ache you tried to hide.

Oh, the weight of open roads,
Is heavier than love you’ve known.
You took the sky, I kept the stone -
Now I’m lost and you’re alone.
Every mile you drove away
Turned my “us” to yesterday.
You wanted freedom, wild and wide…
But freedom’s got a lonesome tide.

Now I drive the backroads slow,
Past the diner where we’d go.
Same booth, same coffee, cold and black -
Just echoes where your laughter cracked.
I keep your scarf beneath my seat,
Smell your perfume in the heat.
Not to hold you back - but pray
You’ll find your way… back someday.

Maybe the road was never wrong -
Maybe we just moved too long
In different rhythms, separate skies,
With love too deep to compromise.
But if you ever tire of flight,
Of chasing stars without goodnight…
My door’s unlocked, my arms still wide -
Come home, love… from the open ride.

Oh, the weight of open roads,
Is heavier than love you’ve known.
You took the sky, I kept the stone -
But I’m still here - you’re not alone.
Every mile you walked away
Still leads you back, I pray.
‘Cause freedom’s sweet - but love’s the guide…
And I’ll wait here, arms open wide.

So go on, chase your endless dawn -
But know you’ve got a place to land.
The road may call, the wind may roar…
But my heart’s your home - forevermore.
The weight of open roads…
Is lighter… when you’re known.
And you’re known…
By me.