Authors Note: One of my favorite songs is by Elvis Presley. It is called: Can’t help falling in love with you (original).
I adore the version made by Haley Reinhart since her voice is angelic. I actually want to sing her version of it someday, somewhere. Can’t help falling in love with you (Copy).
This song makes me feel alive. It helps me to define the word that sometimes makes people feel lonely.
It’s called love.
I was deeply touched by this song and it became my source of inspiration for this piece.
Take My Hand, Take My Whole Life Too- For I Can’t Help Falling In Love With You.
I remember the sun shining so bright upon the meadow. I remember whispers of the wind twirling my hair off to the sides. I remember the first time I laid my eyes on you. There you were with a smolder, glancing up at the sun. I felt something twisting up my insides, tickling me until a smile crawled its way to my lips. It was hard for me to look at you and not be yours. It was harder for me to blink my eyes; you were beautiful-like an angel sent from heaven. I knew that we were meant to be together, I felt your soul touching mine. You stole from me, right then and there. You stole my soul and ever since then, it has never dared to return. We were strangers and I liked it that way. I wanted you to find me instead, to give back or keep what you stole.
I remember that summer when you accidentally bumped into me at the local store. You were innocent and awkwardly charming.
You said, “Ohh, I…I’m sorry! Are you okay?”
I replied, “Yes, I’m fine.”
As you were nervously running your hands up and down your denim jacket you replied, “I’m Liam. And your name is…?”
I gave you a half tilted smiled as I said, “You can call me Rose.”
As I was lost in the abyss of your ocean blue eyes, I realized that I was staring right at you. I wanted to tell you that you are as divine and angelic as the sun, that somehow managed to cast a shadow over my splintered heart.
I snapped out of my daydream as I heard you saying, “Do you live here? Because I’ve never seen you in this part of the town.”
I immediately replied, “Yes, I actually just moved here. I needed to get away from the city…it’s peaceful here.”
As I was talking to you, I felt you staring right through my eyes. I felt you touch my soul that had been trapped and caged inside of my body ever since I started breathing. You were trying to let it escape, but I resisted. I had to be strong. I had to hold on to it; I didn’t want to get hurt. The summer wind swept across your face and your eyes were sparkling along with the evening sun; the only difference was that you were prettier. We were walking in the same direction without even realizing it, but it felt right.
I took out my phone and put on my favourite song. It was perfect, waking with you at sunset and looking at the bright orange hue of the golden sky. You turned your face towards me and smiled as you started singing, “You’re my funny valentine…sweet comic valentine.”
You said, “Sing with me, Rose.”
I nervously replied, “I…I can’t sing.”
You said, “sure you can, try it with me…please?”
As much as I knew I was going to regret singing, I couldn’t let you down. We sang in harmony, “You make me smile with my heart. Your looks are laughable, unphotographable, Yet, you’re my favorite work of art.”
You stopped singing after you heard my voice and my heart was about to simply stop working at that very moment but you saved it by saying, “Your voice is so beautiful, you are like an angel.”
My heart melted like butter but I didn’t show it, I smiled and thanked you instead.
I felt our hands brushing together. My heart was trying to jump out of my body, but it felt normal- as if we had known each other since forever ago.
I smiled and waved you goodbye as you walked away with your grocery bags into your house. It was perfect. A front yard full of grass that only wished to be touched by my feet. I pictured us dancing together at sunset barefoot on the grass. Listening to our favourite song and falling asleep on your shoulder as we watched the stars take over the sky.
As I stood there, unable to comprehend what had just happened, you turned around to look at me again; and when I saw that smolder, it made my heart beat a thousand times faster. And I know you felt it too.
***
You called me every day. You put a smile on my broken heart and tried to heal it with your kind and loving words. I think it was working because I was deeply in love with you too. You read my mind when you surprised me with a picnic in your front yard. There were shimmering lights and rose petals everywhere; it was like a fairytale that I was incapable of being a part of, but you made me feel like your princess. You made me feel special.
***
“I’m so sorry Liam, I was afraid that if you found out, then you would have looked at me differently. I was afraid that this…what we have, would end. I was afraid of not being able to be by your side forever…so I ignored it. I’m so…so sorry Liam,” I sobbed. I felt my heart ripping as you wept silently beside me. You hugged me tight and kissed my forehead as you said, “Rose, I…I love you. I will never ever let you go. Okay?”
***
The oxygen mask covered half of my face that same week and you were holding on to my hand ever so tightly. You were afraid to let me go. You were afraid to live a life without me in it. Even the thought of not being by your side killed me internally because I never wanted this. But I guess life had already planned my suffering with all of its will. I think the universe was jealous of us, I’m sorry I ever laid my sinful eyes on you, Liam. I was the happiest I ever could have been with you. I love you. My eyes closed silently as I heard your voice screaming and sobbing, “Will you marry me? Rose?! Will you marry me? P…Please Rose, please!”
With my last breath, I said, “yes! I love you, Liam.”
***
I remember seeing white. I remember feeling cold. I remember feeling alone. I was counting on you to find me in this evil place. I have been waiting for you for 63 years. I will wait for you as long as I have to. I hope you are happy there because that’s the only thought that has kept me from falling into the darkness. I almost jumped once, but I wanted to go with you; so I waited.
***
As I was walking through the darkness, I started to see the meadow where I first laid my eyes on you. I ran to find you there, but I couldn’t. I was broken, tired, and blue but I wanted to see you. I sobbed for what felt like an eternity but I heard something. Something familiar, “You’re my funny valentine…sweet comic valentine.”
You said, “Sing with me, Rose.”
I nervously replied, “I…I can’t sing.”
You said, “sure you can, try it with me…please?”
I ran towards the meadow and saw you glancing up at the sky. I hugged you tightly from behind and sobbed, “You make me smile with my heart. Your looks are laughable, unphotographable, Yet, you’re my favorite work of art.”
“Let’s jump now,” I said.
“3…2…”
We found love,
We found peace.
