by David Xie

This year, the Chinese Lantern Festival coincides with Valentine’s Day. I figured I would celebrate with a little poem.

———————

Left

right

and left again

but I knew

no matter where I looked

he wouldn’t be there

I smiled to myself

as I looked down

and remembered when

he put his head on my shoulder

on the school bus ride home

I was bony

and the bus bumped

and he didn’t sleep

but we stayed still

Up

I turned my head up

and the stars gleamed

and the lanterns glowed

and he was there.

And for that moment

in the bustling crowd

in the lantern lit night

we were alone again

his head on my shoulder again

staying still.