Not enough mouths to say it (my gift to Jill on Christmas)

There are not enough mouths
for me, or me’s on all my parallel paths
to say it
or sing it
or sound out the words that rhyme
to the truth of it

I will, I
do, I’ve
loved you
since we met, since
well-before that, in fact

I will, I
do, I’ve
loved you
since my childish heart could love, since
before I couldn’t speak
with all these superfluous mouths, mouths
unable to give
any true sounds shape,
just these words, sometimes
ringing as hollow as hellos

I will, I
did, I
do love you,
and all these irrelevant mouths
through all the relevant times
and tenses
are unable even now or then
to describe
the multi-dimensional ride
my heart takes
whenever, wherever, however
we meet, coming and going,
growing both forward,
and all around,
and back to the well-before
those sounds

I couldn’t speak.

[Christmas = love, and this is for my love, Jill]