she’s not afraid to dance
without permission. she smiles when she’s
not supposed to, hugs her friends like it’s
the last time, drops petals behind her when
she walks. every day is an adventure.

he is like the first breath
of spring after a minnesota winter. when
he laughs, snow melts away and butterflies
come out to play. knowing him feels golden;
when i count my blessings i mention his name.

i slowly watched them fall
into each other as i, mere background noise,
fell to the cold, hard ground. i break when
others say they’re perfect for each other,
because of course, they’re right.

as she paints his world
shades of lavender and yellow, i fade from his
memory like a shadow after dark. i’d like to
say the same for him of mine, but the mere thought
of him with her keeps me up at night.