Cold Nights & Moonlight

On a worn-down, wooden, picnic table at an empty

park on a March night is the night that I'll never forget.

We had our warm coffees to contradict the cold air

that enveloped us. We sat near the river together, you

staring at nothing in particular, just over the water,

into the lands of another country, while I stared at

you in amazement, wondering how something could

be as lovely as you are. We spoke few words out there

in the calm night. I enjoyed the silence, as the air filled

the cracks of our tight lips, erasing the awkwardness from

our time together.

I fixed my sight onto the water, as it ebbed and flowed

towards Downtown, as it made it's way elsewhere, not

caring that I was the happiest man on the planet that

it was resting on.

The moon's light was enough for me and I would've

sat there with you until the sun took it's day shift. I

would've sat there with you until both the sun and moon

decided that their time was up and bid their final farewell,

leaving Earth to fend for itself. I would've stayed there

forever with you, as long as it meant that I was with you.

But you said that it was getting late and that you were

getting cold, so we made our way back to your car. I was

trying to build up the courage to grab your hand and

intertwine your fingers with mine, but my adolescent

brain couldn't find it in itself to do so.

I never stopped beating myself up about that.

We opened our doors and locked our seat belts in

place. The car started and the heat blasted from the

vents. The warmness from the heat matched the

warm feeling you instilled inside of me.

You pulled up in front of my house and we hugged.

It was a nice hug, a long hug; the last hug.

I got out of the car, into the cold, and that's exactly

where you left me:

out in the cold.

That's where it has been all of these years. I've been

looking for it so long and it's been gone since that night.

It was on that night that I left my happiness on a

worn-down, wooden picnic table, only hoping

that you'd pick it up and hold on it.

That's exactly where you left it.