"Billy" a poem by Jess Coffman

His smile is like sunshine.
It warms everyone from the outside, in.
His cheeks glow pink, with specks of gold,
Topped with flecks of espresso freckles.
His honey hazel eyes,
Clear, bright and contented.  
And when surrounded with black-rimmed glasses,
He's my ideal romantic lead in an Indie film.

There is a constant Flow,
Of positive energy that powers his body,
Which is why he is so lean, I think.
His arms are strong,
From the support he gives to the ones he loves.
He is the most loyal man I know.

But his unfailing strength lies in his core.
The very center of him
Is grounded in peace and presence.
He lets everything go,
With a unique brand of patience that is unparalleled.

He's great with his hands.
They can be so quick and unrevealing,
Or so still and firm, when he holds mine.
It's not a surprise that he has the precision of a chef,
The passion of a painter,
And the playfulness of a juggler.
Those hands gently throw and catch
My heart, desires, happiness and fears
With such ease and focused care.  

His hair is dark chocolate brown
With a smattering of grey over his ears.
He thinks it ages him prematurely,
But I love it.
Those ears are always listening,
And his mouth holds back all impatient words
Behind sexy cushioned lips.
But when he does speak,
It is always kind. 

A familiar song begins to play,
My favorite singer in fact.
And my heart expands,
As I realize he has played it, for my inspiration.
I watch him flit behind the bar,
And when he feels my gaze,
He blows me a kiss.
And I sink in my seat wondering,
How I could want anything more than this?

JESS COFFMAN

Hey Friends!

I wrote this poem while taking in all that is beautiful and lovely about my boyfriend Billy. I had been away from NYC performing in a production of "Mary Poppins" with the Alabama Shakespeare Festival, for nine weeks. Sweet Billy, picked me up at the airport on a Monday afternoon when I arrived, and we had 2 full days of bliss, before he had to leave to go to work on Wednesday afternoon. That night, I ended up stopping into the coffee shop/bar where he works because I missed him, and because I hadn't seen his new job yet. After he shared his short break with me, I sat in the furthest corner of the room from him, and admired him as he worked. Its amazing when you get the chance to see someone you love with new eyes, which is precisely what led to the inspiration of this poem. At the end of the poem, I came out of my bubble of perfection that I was seeing him in, and saw him for who he really is, a beautiful and excellently made creation that is not in fact, perfect. And who may not even be perfect for me. But the truth is, other than our blood related family, as adults and individuals, we get the chance to choose who we love, and I choose to love him everyday. He gives me the freedom, love, support and patience to be on my own path, and I give him the same. I feel blessed to wake up everyday with Billy as a gift by my side. 

As always, thanks for reading!

Best,

Jess

P.S. The picture above, is of Billy blowing me away, as he plays Elton John's "Rocket Man" on guitar for me. He played, and I sang, and it was one of the most beautiful moments we've ever shared.