Serenity Fading (open to suggestions)

The serenity of Fall is fading away,
And as it does, the more I crave
Those blood orange kisses,
That steeped hibiscus,
The tea staining my lips,
It’s god damn delicious.

Walking in the last warm rain,
Each drop contributes to my train of thought,
My mind racing, feeling the hastening of my pace,
Wasting no breath greeting those adjacent
To my urban waltz.

Stepping in time with the crossing signs,
3 and, 2 and, 1 and, yes sometimes
I back step to move ahead,
Impatient, ready for my destination.

Meeting you at Square One,
The shop that’s always brewing a fresh pot
Of your favorite coffee.
I picture you sitting there, wet hair, waiting for me.

I reach that oh so familiar door,
Only five steps between me and your
Sideways smile.
I breathe in the aroma,
Spot you in the back, your expression idle.

I want to smooth the crinkle in between your brows,
I can feel your tension, it arouses a frown
from my lips.
Your mug full, rim unkissed,
Steam long gone
A deep breath drawn
In from the tired body across the table.

Daring to break the silence,
I ask you about your day,
And all of a sudden there’s a change,
The haunting of your thoughts filing away
And there you are staring back at me,
Your expression thawing out, a sigh of relief.

I want to share your pain,
Parcel out your burdens to me
So we can tuck them away,
Into two beating chests
Containing pieces of secrets, carefully hiding the unrest
Of our childhoods.

Different demons gleaming
In the space behind our pupils,
Afraid of them being revealed,
We compromise, seeking other people’s approval.

I know you won’t take it from me,
But I whole-heartedly believe
That we will make it.
All the things we’ve seen
Have become knowledge we can use to free
Ourselves from repeating the same mistakes.

As though we are forever walking in the rain,
We are constantly cleansed,
Never forgetting that we had to fend
For ourselves, gone through hell
And yet we are still here.

Here, kissed by hibiscus,
Warming our bones together,
Taking in the moment of our shared existence,
Even though pain is a constant unknown,
I still wouldn’t miss this
Because there’s more room to grow.