the book of whimsy ✓

the both of us

the both of us <3

********************************

you reminded me of

cigarettes

and california

summers

smoke blown

up up up

straight to the

moon

like a freckled face

marred with

imperfections

though you

didn't seem to

have any

you tasted like

limes

from those

god-awful

lollipops

you got for free

working at the

convenience

store on the corner

of third and main

you always had

one

stuck between

your teeth

you were so

graceful

like a cat or a

gazelle

or perhaps an

angel

you had a heart of

solid gold

24 karats

though you did

enjoy your

vices

i couldn't very well

blame you

living is crap

it always was

you liked to draw

and trace maps

across the stars

pointing up

and saying

"one day

we're gonna

get there"

you were stuck

in a state of

permanent

wonderment

it was

hard

not to love you

so hard

that i didn't even

try

you liked to

talk

about how someday

you were gonna

sell your dad's

house

and move

to new york

and live out

all of your dreams

"you could come

with me"

you would say

always hopeful

but i shook my head

i was too practical

to entertain

such fantasies

you'd only shrug

"someday

i'm gonna

get there"

and i think you

really believed it

i couldn't fault you

for that

it was too hard

to be stuck in

reality

where we were

especially

everyone had their

escape

mine was in

books

"you read so much"

you said to me

once

"how can you

not

believe in

fairy tales?"

"i do believe in

fairy tales"

i replied

"just not for

me"

and you shrugged

"i'll believe in

them enough

for the both of

us"

but you were

wrong

and you left me

with flowers

by a graveside

and teary eyes

because perhaps

i hadn't believed

in happy endings

for me

but i had believed

in them for you

you were just

another fleeting

soul

gone too soon

i still think about you

sometimes

when the night

is old

and the stars

are fading out

at the horizon

and i look up

at the constellations

you traced

at the stars you

hoped so hard

to reach someday

at the moon

imperfect

yet perfect in its

splendor and grace

and i say your

name

because you are

gone now

but i will

have a fairy tale

enough for the both

of us