Tan lines

I like to think of them as souvenirs 

The spot on my back that the sun kissed so hard

It made a mark

They say that February is the month where the tan lines vanish

When dark turns to light

But what if I don’t want February to come?

What if I still want the scorching summer’s day 

With sweat trickling down my face

As I hit a tennis ball so hard, it blows a hole in the fence

What if I still want the sweet taste of victory 

When salty drops of sweat drip onto my upper lip?

But no

February is coming soon

And I don’t want it all to be gone

I don’t want to be like a delicate deciduous tree

With its leaves brutally ripped from its branches in the winter

No

I want to be like an evergreen

No matter how hard the wind pulls or the snow falls

It remains sturdy and beautiful

Some day soon, I want that victory to splash me in the face

I want it to lap against my feet

And the palm trees to sway in cheer

And the sand to be so hot, it burns me