they met at a birthday party.
she was there by accident, of sorts,
and he was there against his will.

their eyes met over the dairy queen cake-
they both wanted the piece with the
smiley face. they agreed to split it, and
sit next to eachother.
("what good is half of a smile?")

as the party-goers laughed,
they snuck away. lining each street
with new memories of eachother.
from that night on, she wouldn't be able
to walk down any street, see any place,
without remembering him.
that's what he wanted.

she gave him one night. one night
to win her heart, and he succeeded.
with his handsome face that reminded
her of her two boys back home,
but with the way he looked at her, smiled
at her, she knew he was different.

it was an almost one-night stand.
their looks were plenty, but nothing physical
ever happened. they both were all-too aware
that the next day, she'd be gone,
back to her city. back to the two boys that
she was torn between.

in the coldest of winter nights, she'd remember him.
her sunshine summertime lover.

she'd remember him, and the way he convinced
her to sing hey there, delilah by the house
with the mural. she'd remember him, and how
he'd swung next to her, convinced he was higher.
she'd remember him, and how he smiled at her
as they sat across from him on the spinning
merry-go-round.

she remembers him.