It was a late weekday night and I was moping with a friend

And although I don't remember the exact words they said

The conversation will always linger in my head

Romance is dead

they cried

face beet red

But I stopped to think

That simply isn't true

As I slowly glance, I see romance in the bleakest of places too

Awe stricken commentary revering the moon

Serendipitous sighs as the sky shifts pastel hues

Smiles accompanied by the rare Florida breeze

And laughs and astonishment with camaraderie between peers

Love is everywhere, that much I can tell

But emotions are a tangle we don't know too well

Even though finding the one is an arduous mop

We can appreciate the enthusiasm and unfiltered love that surrounds us all

Simply by listening to the world's subtle pleas and reprimands

To slowly explore and find what satisfies our heart's demands

I've been here numerous time

I already know where this is going to lead

But in the end I take the leap

Again

When my funeral comes, I hope no one sheds a tear

After all, the moment I’ve been waiting for my whole life is finally here

Erase my accolades and forget about my career

That’s not what I want to be remembered for

It’s kinda weird

I detest the thought of being revered

I could care less about how many hours I clocked

Or how many certificates adorn my beige walls

Please don’t reminisce about my smile

It’s just a mask

There’s no need to pine over the past

I just want to depart quietly

My time is up

And yours is not

Make the most of what you got

the TedEd monkey has seized control again

somehow soaring over tumultuous seas

seized by a driving hyper focus

and yet it can't slay the beast

Because you're procrastinating and you can't finish half a semester in one night

Or can you?

Being spontaneous made me feel happy. The allure of uncertainty whispered a multitude of charming possibilities. I strode along aimlessly hoping for the chance of something happening serendipitously.

At least that’s how I felt before I met you.

I used to adore change but now I crave consistency. People come and go but I’m hoping your company will always feel like home. The crinkle in your smile and the glimmer in your eyes will never cease to make my heart rate rise. Simply being with you gives me motivagion to push through all sorts of tribulations and trials.

How you act may change with time. Change is inevitable. However, I’m confident that the inspiration you instill in others remains the sams.

I invite you to stay by my side even as life ebbs and flows with the tides.

Fate is fickle but one thing’s for sure. My adoration for you will linger forevermore.

-|-

TL;DR- Failed poetic rizz attempt

Pacing back and forth between the infamous liminal space of a 7/11 at midnight made me realize...

How much my clunky, junky wallet could actually buy

Although most of it consisted of wrinkled receipts and expired coupons,

a crumpled stack of fives was still enough to buy

A dozen cups of instant ramen

A handful of M and Ms

Fruit roll ups for miles

Stale plastic wrapped pastries suddenly seem worthwhile

Or if I was feeling more umami today

I could snag a carton of three dollar fries

A can of pringles and a questionable packet of microwave fried rice

All these bold yellow price stickers highlighted the perfect advertisement for my demise

How much has slid out of my grasp?

I think of the myriad of memories held beneath these spiral ridges

Dusty house keys, smooth ivory, brass knobs

Shattered glass, melted snow, front dew dotting my windows and lawn

Stubborn acrylic that refuses to wash off and cooking oil seething to the touch

Callouses emerging because I practiced a tad bit too much

Steel strings digging deeply and way too rough

And yet the all these memories can't hold a candle to the whiplash I felt

When I finally had to discern your ginger embrace wasn't heartfelt

At all

Beneath that smitten gaze lies an ebbing ache that won’t go away

That isn’t faith brimming in your eyes

It’s the look of pining throughout the night

Pondering all the what ifs and whys

As your heart unravels all the soft spoken words that have turned out to be rosy veiled lies

Would you be able to relive this time when your heart went alight?

Or is this always doomed to end in lingering spite?

As the stars begin to overtake the sky

The soft fusillade against your ribcage rouses awake again

And the throbbing pain wraps its cordons around your psyche once more

It’s a phantom pain that seems benign

Yet it constantly looms over and waxes with each passing moment

Continuing on and on forevermore

Fortunately, rumination is only transient

As all things do, this internal turmoil has to rest

Even if it’s just a fleeting instance of relief

The sorrow finally beckons you goodnight

And finally the dawn’s silence makes everything feel alright

Just for a moment

You can still smile

When you peer through a stream, what do you see?

Is it a clear image etched in rippling glass?

Or a foggy picture clouded by debris?

Time is a endless series of movements

Varying by intensity

Visions are capricious, fickle fiends

Fate ebbs and flows

Misfortune starts to unravel endlessly

Then serendipity passes by unexpectedly

No matter what the future holds

Sometimes you’ll just have to live spontaneously

So buckle down and mosey along

Just embrace your destiny

I'm starting to revert back to flitting gazes, fleeting praises and frenetic waving

I just can't help it

Whenever I see you around, I'm starstruck, smitten, and clumsily driven

I don't know what to say which is ironic because each and every day

When I see you, I never cease to leave with a stupid, toothy grin creeping upon my face

We talk and I often forget what I say

But the feeling of camaraderie and comfort always stays

I say I'm starstricken because your presence is akin to the celestial tapestry above

Often shrouded by the blankets of clouds or hidden by the light pollution all around

Despite all that, the stars still radiate brilliantly when you're sitting on a rooftop

With no lights, no smog and nothing to hide

Just authentic, warm specks of light floating about

It's when you're comfortably authentic that you shine best

The soothing sound of your soft spoken phrases

Coupled with a shrug and chuckle

Feels as cozy as a snuggle

The warmth when you clasp your hand with mine

As our fingers fumble and entwine

Just feels right

It's transient but that's alright

The way you same my name somehow sends my psyche alight

Your enthusiasm is stupidly infectious and blindingly bright

But I'd do anything to see that wonderful smile

Alas, I know you'll never feel the same

That's okay

Afterall, I enjoy seeing you around almost every day

It's a serendipitous twist of fate