I

Your beauty is unlike any other

Your smile and laugh are like a fire on the coldest day of winter

Your cold hands when they touch mine bring me warmth

Your sparkling eyes are my guiding light

I notice

You think I don’t

But I do

There are scars along your arms

Signs of your suffering

Bandaids that were no accident

There are ghosts behind your eyes

Seeking their release through your tears

You’re my best friend

You’re always there for me

You support me constantly 

And understand

In ways no one else could

We met in 8th grade

Introduced by a mutual friend

Whom we now both despise