Under The City Lights

It was a brief encounter. I saw you walking down the street and you had your hands around her. She wearing a orange blouse and some blue jeans and you the same except with a white tshirt. A new look for you, maybe, I know the idea is that angels wear white but devils can wear whatever face they want.

I think you saw me. The city lights couldn't resist to point out my glow. The happiness on my face as I am also wrapped around a lover. He is not you, so much that he is not even a he, but a she. She loves me....for all the reasons you don't. Funny to think that she has known me longer and you didn't even last a full term in schools years.

I've got to say, nighttime looks great on us both. At opposite sides of the crosswalk, I notice you first of course and it's not until halfway through that you even look up and see me but at that point, it's too late to even say anything. React you may but doing anything about it just isn't an option. The air carries my long orange dress across the walkway and she holds my hands tightly. She doesn't know what you look like except for a picture I showed her years ago but you had shades on. I guess you needed to hide your eyes so no one would look into your soul and figure out what you are.

I stop once we get to the other side. I look at my partner who smiles and me and tell her that was you. We don't hide things from each other, there is no need nor space too. We leave space for the unknown for things like this. She looks back but you are still walking, scratching your afro. I can't believe you still have the same hairstyle. I guess its true, something things (or I guess in this instance, people) never change. A hard pill to swallow like cough syrup but I stopped medicating. Not for you. Addiction is generational.

And just like that, my head begins to bang. I tell my partner that I need some water and to maybe get out of these city lights. We talk to a dark corner between a restaurant that is closing and an office building. She says "Let's go to Seattle!" with exhilaration. A place away from here, that doesn't include him, your family or your past. I'm used to thinking of all the reasons why that wouldn't be a good idea like it would be running away and that doing so requires much more planning. Instead, I say that sounds glorious and I recall why I love you so much.

Not because your nothing like him but because you remind me that life is fun and that is our responsibility to make worth living. She makes me believe in marriage in things I don't like marriage, although I believe that such a commitment is stronger without the contract. She makes me believe I can grow my hair out to outer space if I just find the right products. Or that I can read every book on my bookshelf if I am dedicated enough. She makes me believe that I love me properly, effortlessly, unapologetically but most of all, unconditionally.

She smiles in the color brown and it is one of life's most precious gifts. Her, she is love. A remembrance that love is not a fairytale where you have to wait forever for someone to realize they need to, or that you need to be saved. Love is not just survival or sacrifice but satisfaction. It's realizing you've done all you can and now what's left is to create something new, or rather experience renewal.

We walk out of the shadows and back into the city lights. Who knew, all I needed was to maybe be above it all.