I Loved You When

I loved you when

You bravely jumped into my car

I barely had time to tell you my name

You trusted me to take you home

Leaned over the middle console

Showing you knew how to take up space

Like you did in my heart

I loved you then

I loved you when

You breathed in every scent of my house

Ran throughout the backyard

Rolling in the grass as if

to remove the past from your fur

I washed you down

Tried to scrub away every bad thing that happened

You looked me in the eyes and stood perfectly still

As I added ointment to cuts and bruises

Held you to heal the ones inside your heart

I loved you then

I loved you when

Little collective moments

Turned into the best experience of my life

Just like the Wizard of Oz

You’ve made me more considerate

Made me love in ways I never thought I could

One day I’ll be brave enough to say goodbye

And I’ll say how I loved you then