Love Like Lemonade

i have not given up on
saturday afternoons on
backyard decks on
poscicles and sprinklers and
freshly squeezed lemonade that took an
hour to make because it never occurred to me that
we actually had a juicer somewhere and
i squeezed the lemons by hand

i have not given up on
making things myself on
friends that live next door on
bicycles on
wading pools see
there’s something so perfect about
just getting your ankles wet

i have not given up on
you on
me on
freshly mowed grass in june on
sand between your toes your fingers your hair in your clothes in your shoes
i haven’t even given up on love
love
real love
the love that you ache inside over and
love like the most beautiful woman i’ve ever seen
who was also the saddest i had ever seen and
who makes me feel like i can never cry again because
it would seem silly next to hers
clumsy
like my tears are elephants and hers are
perfect pearls
diamonds

love like i remember when
you and i were just kids and
you were the friend next door and
we had popsicles and bicycles and
on a saturday afternoon we
made that lemonade together

i have not given up on
that love like
and old friend coming back and
everything being just right
just right
just right

just for a bit

forget to eat

this
what happens when i forget to eat
hands
red from longing to find you in paint
you
who not so very long ago said
i
was the only writer you had read

this
what comes when i forget to forget
hands
touching my face like the leaves touch sky
you
just as green just as delicate as
i
hold you just to keep you from speaking