Sarah from next door is getting married,
You said last fall
And I don’t know who Sarah is but you seemed thrilled
All bright eyed and Disney-princess sighing
Her boyfriend proposed in an apple orchard
Ring hidden amidst the leaves
Romantic, you said
Risky, I replied
But you were already talking about the diamond
As described by Sarah’s mother
Who now had a spring wedding to plan.
☙
It isn’t a year later when I call you
Holding my breath
Waiting for your reaction
Shaky and delayed over FaceTime
When you smile it’s distant
Like a star long dead
The faint light of it reaching me
After it’s already gone
I tell you where she asked me
A stoic Manhattan behind us
Buildings like sentinels
The sky ablaze above us
As I tell you
Your mask begins to flicker
Pixels going black
And how strange
That my first instinct is to spare you
The effort of façade
So I don’t tell you about the fireflies
That pulsed to life the moment she slid the ring onto my finger
The way my heart beat backwards when her face lit up
I’ve never seen them before!
Fireflies? I asked
A frenzied head shake—We don’t have them in England!
She watched them for a moment, head tilted
And I watched her
And Mom? I understand now
The poets and the movies
Because I would wage war for the slant of her jaw
Slay monsters for the warmth of her laugh
Spin sonnets for her changing eyes
Golden (in the morning)
Green (if she’s been crying)
Amber (when they’re soaked in sunset)
The way they are now
But I don’t tell you any of that
Because I’d feel less foolish
Pouring champagne into a sieve.
☙
In a year or so
You’ll be at my wedding
Smiling and hugging,
Dancing and laughing,
And I will love you for trying
And I will hate you for having to try
And I will remember
The electric current
That hummed in your voice
When you said
Sarah from next door is getting married.
About the Creator
Ally North
NYC/Connecticut. I have degrees in Creative Writing and Anthropology; I write a lot of fantasy and spec fiction as well as the occasional stage play. When I'm not writing I'm eating candy and reading about shark attacks and plane crashes.
Reader insights
Outstanding
Excellent work. Looking forward to reading more!
Top insight
Heartfelt and relatable
The story invoked strong personal emotions
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Comments (8)
Gorgeous, emotional poem. Well done.
This is so beautiful.
Emotionnal! Well written. I invite you to read my stories thank you
I’d feel less foolish, pouring champagne into a sieve - just wow. The way you’ve captured the emotion in this poem is so beautiful
Subscribed 💕 very lovely
This was so emotional and raw. Just beautiful :)
"And I will love you for trying And I will hate you for having to try"- This line made me cry. Beautiful work.
Hi Ally. This is Amanda’s Auntie. I just wanted to say, I loved your words. They’re extremely emotive and heart wrenching too. Also, everything you see and love about her, is everything I feel for her too. I wish you and my niece, every happiness. Much Love Kay.