a seal upon your arm

“Set me as a seal upon your heart, as a seal upon your arm” - Song of Songs 8:6

We have been signed
with your name.

We bear it
in the way we pass by a tired mother at the grocery story,
the way we cook a meal.

We bear it
on our arms as we carry our neighbor’s moving boxes,
as we hand our credit cards to waiters and checkout clerks.

We bear it
in the words we speak to others
and the thoughts with which we fill our homes.

We bear it
even when we’ve forgotten we’re doing so.