Driving down the highway
The day’s travels already long
Clouds growing darker
Suddenly the downpour
Impairs my vision
A notification on my phone
Tornado warning
Panic in my chest
Uncertain what to do
Trying to keep a level head
Pulling off at the next exit
Hurrying into the gas station
Sky water soaking through
Others taking shelter as well
Anxiety subsiding
Rain letting up
Sunshine peeking through clouds
Making our way back to the car
The remainder of our journey
Still ahead of us
Sitting beside you
On the front porch
Clouds rolling in
Watching the sky light up
Feeling the rumble of thunder
As the rain begins to pour
No conversation to be had
Just enjoying the majesty
Of the storm
It was nice to sit and watch
Films from our childhood
To introduce your kiddos to them
To commentate and reminisce
Just weeks earlier feeling
Like I no longer fit
In the family spaces
I inhabited as a child
Recalling how through the years
The image I had painted
Was tinted and a little skewed
By my rose colored glasses
Painting a reality
That wasn’t quite accurate
But, sitting with you
My big brother
Watching a simple children’s film
Touched something deep in my soul
And all I could do was tell you
How thankful I was
You shrug, telling me you fell asleep for most of it
But I want you to know how much
An impromptu movie night
Helped to heal
A broken part of me
Twenty-eight years of friendship
One of the oldest friends I have
No matter how long it’s been
Since we saw each other or talked
We can pick it up like
There was no gap at all
Reflecting on our friendship
I am reminded
Of a day in third grade
Not long after we met
When we almost weren’t
You were new to the school
And I wanted to be your friend
But others in my social circle
Decided you were “too weird”
Or something like that
(I honestly don’t remember
All of the details)
And they didn’t want you
To play with us
I stood my ground
Their logic just wasn’t logical
So what if you were “weird”?
We were all weird
They didn’t like my resistance
One even alluded
To our friendship being over
Hurt by their words, I ran
No longer wanting
To talk to them
The “rift” didn’t last long
And you quickly became
An integral part
Of our group
It’s crazy to think
That all of my years
Through elementary,
Middle school and highschool
Would not have had you in them
If eight year old me
Had listened to them
“I made this for you!”
White page with
A pink, squiggly circle
“Ooh, what is it?”
“It's a monster circle!
You can put it in your office!”
“I love it!”
Small arms wrap around my waist
Office wall filling up with pictures
Preschooler artwork
Lines, circles, squiggles
Something resembling a face
And a white sheet with a pink
Monster circle
