A smile startles
That single shred of darkness,
Well, at least you can be happy for both of us.
Tiny pictures startle the screen, dancing among the
Saturated channels.
Then, I realized, what it was showing
Us.
Your eyes look across that Media classroom, staring at me,
A glance of surprise.
A pause, fast forward
The remote clatters down quicker than
The night, stupefied and drunk where you and I danced on
Salwood Bay, one of my sandals broken the other already swishing in sea brine.
I press the button, then stop
A ring, a beautiful one. You smile and I cry and both of our joys mix together like paints on a canvas
Faster and faster they flash by.
Darts at the lakehouse, shouting echoing through the hall with one lightbulb broken, re-painting a room that was supposed to be pink back to blue
A tear escapes before I can stop the video.
A hand around my shoulders as we return the crib.
I watch your eyes, ever so slightly, crease in pain
Crease and gloss over,
I don’t see so I do nothing.
I can’t watch this next part, I can’t, I…
The doctor straightens up and I watch as I laugh
I laugh until I cry and cry until he looks up, grabs my hand
No. No no no.
Back at Sandalwood, back at the doc
You look at me as I stare out into the water, remembering
Our night so long ago.
We dance one last time, bare feet creaking the boards, and you whisper
Whisper whisper whisper
That you’ll never leave me if I never forget you
I sob silently after you fall asleep-
Pause. Click, the screen shuts off
I already know how this story ends, and I start to walk away until
I hear your voice, telling me to finish.
I sit back down and watch the last scene,
Knowing all the words.
You look at me as we swing on the porch, young
Forevermore, and tell me
To live my life
After you’re gone.
Sloan Butler is an emerging writer who goes to high school in Sherman Oaks, California. It is her dream of publishing a book one day, although she would like you to know that she is very forgetful, even if she can help it. She wants to thank you for giving her writing a chance. She is submitting a series of romantic poetry.
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