-arriving at eglington west station-

there's the fragrance drifting off
of her shoulders
as she checks her reflection
on smartphone mirror app,
floral pattern matching the
bright of her nails,
the sun shining onto sequined flats
that show no wear.

-glencairn, glencairn station-

there's her youth indicated by
backpack, baseball cap,
and conversation subject matter
discussing video game system merit,
there's the hand me down excitement
of muddy knees and torn jeans,

-arriving at lawrence west station-

each millimetre contributing to grimace,
beard whisker, wrinkle stationed
to the sides of each of his eyes,
weary traveller, seemingly ignoring
everyone with grocery bag
occupying chair like child,

-Yorkdale, Yorkdale station-

we used to weave through these crowds
and people watch together,
and the people would watch us,
young love, so simple,
oblivious to stage,

fingers interlocked, blocking
crowds from passing by,
there was the taste of strawberry
banana smoothie, freshly squeezed,
on your lips, we'd race up
escalators, only to circle
back down, we'd find the nook
of book store, to steal a moment,
you'd ignite, ignoring the clatter
of barrista, starbucks adjacent,

and there would walk by or sit
dolled up princess,
adolescent tomboy,
aging cantankerous senior,

these faces haven't changed
as much as ours have.

-please stand clear of the doors-

in your vicinity,
i'm filled with corny questions like:

"what do you think of fate?"

if it is destined that we meet,
predetermined that we end up
as more than strangers,
more than friends,
then technically,
it doesn't matter
what i say
or prevent myself from saying,

these moments are orchestrated
by something greater,

if such a question elicits a groan,
then its the groan with which we'll start.

dinners at swiss chalet,
luxury before i knew luxury,
and though i've advanced
in diet since, nothing has
tasted better than
hot fudge sundae
mixed with parent smiles,
washed down with
Shirley Temples.

roadtripped to this campus
and walked along its empty halls,
the darkness outside increasing
the contrast of lights
on blown up DNA models,

i had notions in my head
of what this place would be like
but the question that
resonated through my visit was:
"could this ever be home?"

naval yard off in the distance,
i hear the synchronous shouts
necessary for a group of armed men,

i breathe in Illinois air
before speaking in an accent
discernible to all.

"is this it?"
the words i was too scared to ask,

thankfully,
it wasn't.

i reprise, i retrace,
i've got love for the chase,
your face when in place
that you've wanted to be,

i'm in space, i'm above,
i've got lives full of love,
and i'm choosing you with
all these words that i speak,

i can't lose, i could win,
i've got love that's within,
and i don't want to leave,
no i don't want to leave,

i've got you, i've got us,
i've got love more than lust,
i've got air that i breathe
and you, all i need.

i don't know, i can't go
through all this again,
i can't have you as friend,
when this turns into hate,

i won't fight but i might
keep this grip too tight,
fingers losing strength
such is fate,

i'll wish all the best
as heart sinks in chest,
i'll fail the test
and i'll show up late,

i'll have you, i'll have us,
i'll have all that and more,
until it falls to floor,
leaving empty space.

we dissect and we let
worst cases get the
best of us and
the rest of us,

and i know there are those
who hide within clothes
and feel like that they
can't adjust,

but if you take those fears,
dissolve them in years,
you'll find that they all fade,
they must,

so take chance on romance,
ignore all advance,
focus on now,
focus on trust.

in these years spent searching
for one to join with on this journey,
i've learned of preference,

all i want in a future mate
is someone who laughs at my jokes
and speaks with a british accent,

i make jokes too often
for silence to be a common response,

if this is to last forever,
i need not learn of tumbleweeds
and their propensity to roll,

and i know that fights will come,
i know that there will be
words shouted, that bubble forth
like rabid froth, and i know
that in those quiet moments
that follow, there's nothing
i'd rather hear than
"i'm sah-ray".

i miss you like
a child
misses innocence,
that sort of
uninhibited
longing
that no one explains
but everyone
has, at one point,
felt.