And while perusing
The bookstore of
My life I
Happened upon an
All-too familiar story
Of sweetness newly
Discovered in a
Landscape of bleakness
Of quenching rains
Of kindness after
Parching droughted meanness
Of long-awaited holiday
Gatherings after months
Of dark loneliness
It’s a story
Where a crooked
Smile sets to
Light a string
Of otherwise dim
Bulbs you reminded
Me of this
And it’s you
That has become
Yet once again
My favorite story
And then I
Really realized that
The lover that
I sought was
Me that I
Was the present
Present to be
Given and opened
That what I
Sought was here
And then the
World opened like
Origami doves that
Leapt into worlds
And I saw
For the first
Time the abundance
Of beauty love
And miracles that
This all is
Once I just
Simply knew me
I sometimes feel
Like a prairie
Flower in the
Hands of a
Forlorn lover plucking
My petals in
Pursuit of love
As though my
Own beauty is
Forgotten in lieu
Of theirs does
He not see
Me my prettiness
Instead I’m simply
A thing found
Faraway upon which
To bemoan and
After used far
Uglier than when
This first began
And like a
Child awakening to
An overnight snowfall
The sight of
You makes me
Swoon with adventure
Sleds and snowballs
Mittens and cocoa
Of crackling fires
And smooth whiskey
While I watch
The fire’s fingers
Dance across cheekbones
And light up
The twinkling galaxies
In your eyes
You are my
Own late-night snowfall
Let us play
With gleeful abandon
And like a
Boy waiting to
Get picked for
Sides you selected
Me before others
Beaming I stood
Next to you
Our team often
Lost that year
But the hugs
Slaps on my
Back and occasionally
Tousled hair made
Age 12 unbelievably
Bearable for both
HARLAN DIDRICKSON 