"If I Didn't Have You"

By Amy Sexauer

If I didn’t have you
I would sleep more.
I might eat better.
I would have more time with my friends.
If I didn’t have you,
I could spontaneously do
Whatever I wanted
If I didn’t have you
I would be making more money,
My life would be cleaner
And smoother,
If I didn’t have you.

If I didn’t have you,
I wouldn’t be a mother.
I would still be lost,
And aimless
If I didn’t have you.
I would still be looking for love
Outside of myself,
If I didn’t have you.
I would laugh less
And sing less
And dance less
If I didn’t have you.

If I didn’t have you,
I’d have a whole lot of things
None of which compare
To you.

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Amy Sexauer is a poet and author of Poppies, published by Dead Reckoning Collective, from which this poem was taken. She is a West Point graduate who spent nine years on active duty in Military Police and Psychological Operations units. She is currently a graduate student at Harvard University. Follow her here.