Trip And Fall

ARC

-

a Bunsen burner with reactions of compounds

those annoying goggles that hid your lovely eyes

as you poured the acid

we studied all the atoms, and how they bind

like you and I never could

-

I was so sure I would remain transparent to your gaze

as I watched your strings

singing like a polished angel

in some plastic seat

it was the closest to heaven that I’d ever been

and I knew I wanted you

just a freshman and I knew nothing of desire

until summer and my blue-eyed only;

but then the leaves fell...

back to class we went,

back in the lab the flame was turned up high

-

reactions began

at lab tables under fluorescent lights

you were always beautiful;

I knew that and I knew your name

and you were seventeen and perfect

oblivious to all my longings

all the little hearts doodled in corners of chemistry homework

for you

I slept during darkness and ached for your hands

and awoke to the blinding reality of you walking away

-

the trip to a shining city of light and metal

began with asphalt, rubber, fences

and beside it all were my tiny insignificant words

in flowered paper

in your hands

the words you cherished in astonishment...

hours later

your mouth touched mine on the seventh floor

and my universe exploded and burned to nothingness

and truth was redefined when the sun rose

nothing was ever the same

for you were mine

-

I believed in a dream

that some chemical smell would jolt me awake

but no, it was all so real

through dark and chrome

and the ride back home

to an older world, so familiar yet never the same

I saw you in hallways and hid by instinct

though I could now love you freely, I wanted so badly to flee,

I still felt compelled to hide somewhere

cover myself in blankets of colored paper

and all those unsendable words I still couldn’t let you read;

I loved the words and music,

Mraz and Joni and you

in those days of light and metal

just you