The First Time I Knew

From the very first time I heard your voice, I knew. The very first time on the phone, when we exchanged awkward small talk and pleasantries, that became so much more in so little time. I knew. The voice that reached my auricle and was channelled into my external auditory meatus, where it was amplified and then sent onto my tympanic membrane. Once it reached my primary auditory cortex in the temporal lobe of my brain. I knew.

From the very first time I saw your face and the shape of you. I knew. The very first picture that matched the undeniable fire of passion the image drove through me. I knew. The body I dreamt of as its image was received favourably by my retinas and sent via the optic nerve to the occipital lobe. I knew.

From the very first time we met and embraced, on the train from Liverpool Street Station to Ilford Station. I knew. As our bodies combined in the carriage, and we shared that moment. I knew. As our Meissner's corpuscles, Merkel's discs and hair follicle-associated LTMRs congressed, and I felt your very being. I knew.

From that very first time, we embraced, and our bodies combined in the carriage, and my olfactory mucosa and olfactory nerve took in your delightfully feminine scent and directed it to the olfactory bulb in the olfactory bulb to the olfactory tract and then to the olfactory cortex. I knew.

From that very first time, we embraced, kissed, and our tongues entwined, and I tasted you. As our tastebuds and papillae—the circumvallate, fungiform, foliate, and filiform. When the chemicals created by our tongues caress activate the tastebuds' nerve cells, chemical messengers are released and activate other nerve cells, transmitting the message along the nerve fibres to my brain. I knew. Biologically, psychologically, emphatically and romantically, I knew you were the one.

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Thanks for reading!

Author's Notes: So, there are a few things to unpack here. I really wanted to do a longer-form poem for the Sensational II challenge because... of course, I did! Also, as I did this romantic piece about my wife, I realised I wanted to mix biological science into the mix.

Also, it's our wedding anniversary this week on the 27th - 22 years! So, it felt fitting! It is more or less based on the first time we met (online), the first time we spoke on the phone (same night, I believe or not long after), and the first time we met in person. So, another entry based on a true story! Hope you enjoyed it, anyway.

Here are others: