Carelessly
you toss your head into the air.
I quickly steal my arm around your neck,
preventing you from falling back.
My knuckles whiten
as my grasp tightens on the rail.
City lights sparkle far into the night,
and this truck revs up, speeds away from this twilight.
The wind washes our faces,
stinging the burns on our cheeks.
Your hair still smells of the sea,
mixed with the sweet scent of beer on my skin.
Back on the beach, how you spilled it on my shirt.
You snatched the bottle from my hand
and brought it up to your lips.
How easily your ears glowed red,
your mouth flowering into a smile.
How giddy the light danced in your eyes as
you ran to the shore, removing your clothes off.
Now, the city lights are closing in
and I toss my head into the air,
wishing summer were not dying too soon.
Forward, it’s time to face those we left behind.
You slip your arm around my waist
to whisper, “We’re gonna be okay.”
Looking back down the disappearing road,
I see the sun’s last wave of heat scattering into tiny lights.
This ride takes only a short while,
and those city lights won’t quiet us down.
—-
Panganud is the pseudonym of an out-of-school youth.