Poetry

It was kindergarten

specifically May 4th, 2018, to be exact

we had just moved into our new house

I had been at the after-school program that day

My music collection

a small window of tunes that I appreciate

songs that loosen my ties to the ground

that free me to chase the clouds

and they may not be popular

or good party music;

they have taken her.

hope.

she is trapped in the great big house made of new money & keys

that open nothing anymore. it is named america.

you can hear her,

I am grateful.

Grateful that three no-longer-kids,
Grown-up,

Jobs-and-girlfriends-and-college boys

Are there for me

Have my back

Even though we haven’t talked for a while

Even though we live hours away

We are such a cliché,

boy meets girl,

fall hard and fast.

Our heads are a mess,

would you wait for me?

Obviously.

Too young to think anything through,

I remember that warm summer night,

we argued about who could jump farther off the swings,

we were only 14.

It down poured,

they didn't set the fireworks off,

you didn't care,

neither did I.

I’ve been going to a camp called Crow's Path since third grade. 

And even longer before that, but I can’t remember those days. 

People have come and gone, yes, that’s true, 

An apple is

A reminder

A token to bring you back

To the day in the orchard

When you were six years old

Sitting on your dad's shoulders

Reaching for an apple

That you had decided was perfect

i'll use your name. sweet nothings spill

from well-meaning mouths & shatter on concrete radiating summer sun

right back at you, perfect -- dainty -- shiny with dewdrops. they told me

时间

Time moves fast

Tick… tick… tick…

It all goes

Gone

           Gone

                       Gone

Minutes go by

Don’t kill my birds.

Tommy pays taxes.

April runs a side hustle selling cursed bath bombs on Etsy.

They have dreams.

They have a 401k.

They just bought a tiny house in a haunted forest

I put on a sweatshirt,

Put on some pants,

Summer is coming,

And I don’t stand a chance.

I go downstairs knowing,