cotton candy romance is on tap
in a town near you.
shaky sugar crashes
a roller coaster to the middle of nowhere
stilted suburbs spin above
tongues sting from fake smiles
we let social media stories decide our fate
comparisons become our guidepost.
but we are so hungry.

bite into something more succulent…

what do you want? he asks, with tenderness
refracted by the afternoon sun
glowing in his eyes.

me?
i want adventure that never quite quenches my thirst.
i want to know you, through and through
like a good book i can’t put down
i want to stay up late learning you
over and over again.

i want the cold desert at midnight
as worries leave us like ghosts.
i want your soul, cupped tightly in mine
as magnolias bloom fragrant secrets
sweat tricking down your forehead
in a slow blush of anticipation.

i want the irreplaceable depth
the ripe just-right feeling of —
i can’t wait another second.
i need my body to crash against yours.

i want the uncomplicated truth
i want imagination plush with poetry, like this
here, come along, I’ll show you.
close your eyes—

see barren shores sparkle with starfish
as hidden melodies float above us like galaxies
watermelon juice in our mouths
tangled feet
your hot breath on my neck
secrets spilled
hearts bared.
fully satisfied
like the messy, soulful creatures we are.

don’t stop there.

more than anything, i want to know you
over and over again
it will be forever incomplete
eternally a mystery.
because we’ve changed since yesterday, haven’t we?
a little more shading there, a dot here, fresh wisdom sprinkled in our eyes.
we are constantly becoming.

let that be succulent, not scary.
let it fuel thick chapters of love
and immersive volumes
that drive us wild.

because i don’t want knowing you to end.
you are a winding mountain road
that keeps me guessing.
i am an enigma of clouds and sun
that keeps you curious.

~