i got glasses in 6th grade
because i couldn't see the board
my mom took me to the eye doctor
he shook my hand and said
"your vision should get better
it's just you growing up"

i wore my glasses every day
and things stopped being such a blur
until 7th grade
when my vision got worse
i went back to the eye doctor
he shook my hand with his cold one
"your vision got a little worse, that's okay, nothing to worry about"
so i got different lenses
and a better prescription too
the board became clearer
and things were even less of a blur

i went back freshman year
because i wanted contacts
i was sure my vision changed again
maybe it got worse
the doctor shook my hand again
giving me goosebumps
"your vision hasn't changed"
i thought
how is that possible?
something has to have changed
it feels so different
but nothing did

during freshman year
is when i loved you
i loved you so much
that i ignored all the harsh words
and the way you'd make me feel small
i loved you so much
that i never saw the way you treated me
even when everyone else did

that's when i realized
even with contacts or glasses
some people still can't
see clearly

when a poet falls in love with you
you can never die
they will notice the way
you rub your palms and look down
when someone is angry at you
and the way you smirk
as you pull away from a kiss

they will notice how you can't sleep
without your body touching someone else's
how you never crease any pages of books
and how you close your eyes when you dance in your kitchen
with your record player on

they will find all of the words
that they see you as
and turn them into something beautiful

people say you die twice
once when you stop breathing
and when someone says your name
for the last time

if you fall in love with a poet
they will never stop
mentioning your name
you will be alive
for eternity