A love like the one you describe will be hard to forget. When you talked about A love that belongs in poetry, I was reminded of a song I hheard from long ago, called Some kind of Love by the late Kate Wolf.
I had several serious love relationships before I met my wife 27 years ago, and I have never forgotten any of them. One day my wife came across an old picture of me and a former lover. She asked me, kind of snarkily, if that was the love of my life. I replied that yes, at the time, that woman was the love of my life. But times change, and people change. Loves change.
The departing of a loved one, whether by death, geography, or any of a number of reasons, can be painful, and just like a physical wound, may take a long time to heal, and also may leave a lasting scar. But the good memories will last as well, and are a great balm and liniment to the wound. Remember, if you once loved deeply, you know that you can love deeply again, and because you were loved just as deeply, you deserve to be loved deeply once again.