I remember when
I had the word Vienna
Etched in the curve of my name.

Everyone calls me Layne
And I quickly follow up
Not every time
But with my lovers, best
Marie.

I bought a jacket and a hat
Found and pinched out a sense of self
I never seemed to find anywhere else
But in the Austrian sunshine
Or how I can go anywhere
And make anything happen.

A friend and mentor told me last night
That I could move to Antarctica
And I would thrive.

Gold sequins
I felt sad you didn't come
Because everyone told me I should.

I've gotten to a place where in the highs
In the sky high moments
I don't always need the hand of a man.

I've seen all sides of it
And I don't live without admiration
But the validation I seek to give myself
It's plentiful
And then sometimes so empty.

You don't say anything in regards to the words that I write you
But I think maybe somewhere it effects you
Like how difficult it is for us to ever part ways
To pull ourselves off of one another
I've started to show you what's hiding under my skin.

He put his arm around me
While we stood on the stage
My hair grows longer
I tire myself out
And wonder where I'm supposed to end up
In time.

It's in the height of the intimacy
That I run wild, fractals warn me
That it will never just be you and I
So my cat snoozes
I work through it all
My work is the thing that will always be all mine.

I've changed so much
In so little and long a time
Do you see how we've also already grown?