When He Looks at Me, I Look Back

I get up in the morning
and I pull on my shorts
and the hair on my legs
is yellow
and shines in the sun

And the birds are shouting
their lungs out
and I cram down
my cornflakes
And I run across the street

And I am out of breath
when I knock on his door

And his mother comes
and stands
behind the screen
and I ask her
if my friend can come out
to play

And he
is already there
in the hallway
waiting for me

And he has his play shoes on
and he comes crashing
through the screen door
and I hear it slam
and bang
behind us

And the two of us
leap off the porch
and fly
back across the street
behind the houses
to the vacant lot
to play
in our fort

And when our mothers call us in
for lunch
We’re both sweaty
And we both smell
like playing outside smells
And our hands are dirty

And my friend looks at me
and his eyes are grey.

and I look back.

And for the rest of our lives
we both know
that’s what
it feels like
when we fall in love.

Relephant:

The Truth About “True Love.”

Author: Carmelene Siani

Editor: Catherine Monkman

Photo: Author’s Own