Remember tonight, for it is the beginning of always

o1. it's been a crazy couple of years for us, hasn't it? i actually adore you, and now i remember why. we've put each other through so much, but at the end of it, we've become amazing friends and i wouldn't trade a single moment with you—the tears, the laughs, the late nights, the texts, and every single song. with you there are no pretensions; there are no mirrors. thank you for always being up for an adventure. SECOND CHANCE

o2. some people talk about bravery. you go out and live it, and i admire you so much for it. i'm scared for you and what the future holds, but i'm also beyond proud. keep in touch, because whenever you come home, i'll always be here to say hello. i love our lifechats across the miles; you may not be here in front of me, but nothing's changed. FEARLESS

o3. you have talent that some of us would kill for. that, coupled with a sincere humility and incredible humbleness, makes me admire you so much. you're the most naturally gifted person that i've met in this field, and i am so, so jealous. you have an entire world of potential at your feet. you inspire me just by existing; the fact that you're so good makes me want to do better. you are going to do great things someday. A LOGICAL MIND

o4. i don't want to hate you. it's not worth it, because i think that we could potentially be good friends. you are so much fun, but you need to watch how your words and actions affect others. CLASS ACT

o5. i never meant to hurt you. i'm sorry, because you gave me everything and i could not have asked for more. i care—so much—and i always, always will. you need to know that i will never forget the way that you turned my world around. i was yours at the perfect time. RAINFALL

o6. the world doesn't owe you anything. you're talented? a lot of people are talented. good intentions don't stand for anything. hard work makes all the difference; don't you dare ever forget that. PROVE IT

o7. who am i to you? i'm a real girl, and don't you forget it. i can't make up my mind about you. i'm only half joking when i say that you stand for everything that i hate, yet i like you as a person more than i intended, and more than i care to admit. i like that you're ambitious yet utterly unpretentious. conversation is a lost art, but you have got it down to a science. i'm charmed. SIX SECONDS

o8. i wish i could be there, looking out for you. he'd better not break your heart. i worry about you, but as long as you're happy, then i'm pleased. everyone deserves to know the butterflies. ANGELS

o9. you taught me a lot about life at a time when i was figuring everything out for the first time. and though i've grown up and learned a lot about the world and about myself and found that maybe we disagree on some things, i'll always carry your words with me. STAY BEAUTIFUL

1o. you have my heart. A CINDERELLA STORY

The Heart's Map

They were drunk.

But curiously enough, they hadn’t had anything to drink all night.

“What time is it?” she asked. 

He tapped his watch, its numbers glowing in the early morning darkness. “Five o’clock,” She winced, willing the time to pass slower—fighting dawn. 

They sat in silence, watching the moonlight glittering on the dark water. The city was occasionally bitingly cold despite the fact that it was July. She was still in her red tank top and skirt from last night— clothes that advertised her non-local status—topped off with his five-sizes-too-large-for-her cardigan. 

Like the tourist she was, she had arrived early at the bar, forgetting that the French were notoriously, fashionably late. She had found herself alone with only a scowling bartender and a stranger. The latter was playing the piano on stage, totally oblivious to her arrival—or the presence of anyone else around at all. She had turned away, feeling like an intruder on an intimate moment. 

But soon enough, she had found herself swept onto the dance floor by a stranger with an unapologetic grin and confident rhythm. She had been about to extricate herself, when she realized he was the boy from the piano. “I’ve been looking for you. I thought you’d left,” he told her in an American accent—a sound she had missed since leaving New York.  

And that was how Isabella and Felix found themselves walking hand in hand on the streets of Paris, drinking each other in. 

He was a summer student at Le Cordon Bleu. She was an American tourist. 

They were perfect strangers with captivating chemistry.

She would be on a flight halfway across the world in twelve hours. 

The summer air was breathtaking, yet the only way to breathe. They had watched as a Parisian night transformed into morning—a suffocating bar had turned into a patio—a dimly-lit coffee shop—a walk along the Seine. Felix asked her where she was from—and it escalated into each of them spilling their guts to a nearly perfect stranger; intoxicated. 

The sun was rising on the water, heralding another day. Isabella could feel their time together slipping away with every ray of daylight. How ironic that such beauty brought misery. She blinked back tears. She dropped his hand. Felix turned to her, millions of unanswered questions and unwritten promises in his eyes. 

“I don’t want to miss you,” she whispered. She leaned in, breathing him in, and kissed his cheek in one fleeting moment. 

“Wait—"

But she was gone. 

~

Felix walked the path to his temporary home. If he hadn’t been able to feel her unforgettable kiss, he would have wondered if it were a dream. He stuffed his hands in his pockets, missing the warmth of her touch. Startled, he pulled a scrap of paper from his pocket. 

7 Garden Street

America 

Meet me in the city that never sleeps.

Hopefully yours,

Isabella Laurentia

120 Hours

This past week marked the very first time that I have been challenged to the very limits of my abilities. It has literally been the worst 120 hours of undergrad to date. I have never wanted to quit so badly; I've never before thought that maybe I'm not cut out for math. Between the Real Analysis midterm that made my head spin trying to understand what the question was asking and the back-to-back deadlines, I questioned my decision for the first time ever, and I know that I wasn't the only one.

For the first time, I wondered if I was good enough. I spent some time (out of what very limited time that I actually had) doing some soul searching and seriously considering switching out into something easier. The option was real for a moment. I'd never doubted this choice of path so much before. For the first time since choosing Western math, I considered changing my mind. Those were some long nights.

But then I got back a perfect midterm. And then I ran into a professor from first year who never ceases to make me laugh, and while we were talking, he admitted that math is really, really hard—but it should be. There is a reason why math majors are known for having a decent amount of brain cells. Looking around at my classmates, I've found that it's true: I've been out of my element; I've sat down in a class full of incredibly talented people and felt lost—and that experience is why I have a lot of respect for my peers and professors, now more than ever after having seen the challenge firsthand.

This professor reminded me of the incredible potential of mathematics, and I walked away from Middlesex College that afternoon feeling better than I had all week, with a much-needed reminder to keep my eyes set on the goal and my heart set on the dream. There's something that I'd lost sight of somewhere in the chaos of this week: the truth is, I wouldn't want to be doing anything else. I love the challenge, and I love mathematics more than I hate the fear of failing, so I'm going to take a deep breath and a leap of faith because I know that someday this will all be worth it.

Of Dragons and Dreams

But maybe I don’t need any saving.

Every little girl wants to be a princess; to be cherished, to be loved. But not every princess is a damsel in distress, and maybe I refuse that fate. Maybe I don’t need you to come rescue me, and maybe I don’t need you to lead me. I want you to walk beside me and listen and speak and wonder with me. I want you to ask me big questions and challenge me; I want you to change my mind. I want you to hold my hand and spin me around in the wildest dance—but I don’t want you to lead me, because I don’t need a knight in shining armour.

I want you to be a hero, but I don’t want you to be my hero. I want to be my own saviour. I don’t need to be swept off my feet and carried off into some sunset, and I can slay my own dragons, thank you very much—because you know what? I love bows and twirly skirts and polka dots, I’m afraid of spiders, I cry at the drop of a hat, I dream like I mean it and none of those things make me any less capable; none of those things makes me weak.  

So, Romeo, you can indeed be the prince and I’ll be the princess, and together we'll write the greatest love story—but I’ll be my own heroine, because this princess doesn’t need any saving. 

Third Street Promenade

An empty parking lot in broad daylight

The restlessness of the cityscape, picture perfect

I cast my eyes upon the summer sun

The backdrop of endless traffic is merely whitenoise

Deafening is the knowledge that you are miles away

Guitar strings and twinkling laughter

Locked in a place untouched by the world

The forever soundtrack of our lives

And the inevitable chorus always happens

Right around this familiar summertime

All I've ever known and what I've never found

is the one thing I've been searching for since day one

We seek fleeting solace in strangers with brilliant grins

And the brightest of youthful laughter

But I have still never found what I'm looking for

Midnight coffee and starlit talks define these memories

Alongside the melodic accompaniment of your voice

This is our song across the heartrending distance

And the single question mark of a guitar string

Leaves me ever so breathless—as always

Do you notice? Your melancholy extends across miles

And finds me upon the careless summer air

I cannot help it but feel your loneliness

Yet I've never been one to mind a walk alone

Listening to the city streets as if my own heartbeat

The call of your heart is music; gravity

And I will always be your accidental answer

Uncomplicated as summer should ever be

I am your rhyme—reason—verse—chorus—

All rolled into one unbreakable last refrain  

These avenues tell the story

Of a girl and a boy and a timeless echolalia  

A song on repeat; a forever summer

So I will walk these streets and listen

To the lullaby of a city overflowing with wishes 

Waiting

It's quite curious; this fragile thing we share.

I stare at the city lights twinkling outside my window and wonder where you are tonight. I wonder if you ever look out at the world and wonder about me in the same way. Sometimes I have to blink and shake my head, reminding myself that you are real and walking the same streets, day by day.

You sent those first words to me on nothing more than a wild hope; without expectations. Little did you know how they would change my world. I don't think that either of us could have imagined how this would play out. I watched a few short lines slowly transform into letters filled with our hopes and dreams, and it is ever so strange how you have gotten to know me through these words in a way that would be impossible for anyone else.

Two souls could easily sit side by side, in silence, and spend hours together without listening to each other, but our chosen choice of communication forces us to listen. The time we spend together is precious in its fleeting nature. We share our lives with each other in the most curious way, and we walk with each other, parallel and perpendicular at the same time.

You could have never known, but words are my favourite way of expression. And now, with you, even more so than ever before.

So I will send these words on a wish into the great wide world, and hope that they find you, safe and sound.

“Rivers know this: there is no hurry. We shall get there some day.”

“Falling in love is very easy for me, but giving in is near impossible. And I am fine with it.” 

                                                                                    – Anonymous

This stranger read my mind—and my heart, for I have thought the same thing so many times over.

I can find romance everywhere but in myself.

I find love around every corner, but I have never known love. 

And for now, I’m alright with that. I see everyone around me so intent on finding someone to date, but I don’t understand it. I don’t understand the rush to be in a relationship with the one that you’ll spend the rest of your life with; you have the entire rest of your lives to find that great love.

I’m in no rush to give in, and I expect that when it happens, it won’t be of my own accord. But when it happens, I’ll be waiting.

i'd do the stars with you anytime ♥

o1. i'm not usually this bold. i find it curious how one glance between us can ask so many questions. who are you and what's your story? and what is it about you that makes me want to know? and i do want to know. i know what i saw; i know that you did a double take, and i know that this is definitely not just in my head; but i can't get you out of my head. i don't believe in chance. ELECTRIC EYES

o2. sweetheart: i am nobody's fool, and you are no exception. RIEMANN

o3. we've only known each other for a few months, but it feels like you've been here forever already. everything with you is so easy. first year would have been completely different if i hadn't met you. i'm totally myself when i'm with you. we know never to take each other too seriously, but you know exactly when to be serious. everything between us came so naturally; we are like-minded souls. when i am frustrated and filled with doubt about this path, you are the one i turn to, because you understand. mathematics or chemistry? MIDNIGHTS + MORNING COFFEE

o4. you're the best. i can't believe you remembered. hearing from you makes my week in a way that no one else can. we are merely ideas; words in black and white and infinite possiblities, but that's alright—words are my favourite way of expression anyway. i always wonder if we've spoken and never known it; if we've locked eyes and never understood the truths. watch that sky and think of me. someday, my dear. THE GREATEST STORY EVER TOLD

o5. sometimes i hate you. sometimes you drive me crazy with the things you say without thinking. sometimes you just make me so angry that i can't even speak. but still—when it really comes down to it, all i want is for you to find the happiness that you're searching for. i would do anything to help you on your way. ANALYZE

o6. you can do better than this. you're going to be wonderful to some girl someday. stop being so harsh on yourself. stop feeling sorry for yourself; you've got every reason to keep your chin up. i have said these things to you over and over again, and i hope that one day you will believe them, because i believe in you. i wish you could see yourself the way i see you. GOOD TO YOU

o7. you. you, with the quick wit and sense of humor and the incredible patience. you, with the big dreams and the accidentally inspirational spirit. you: my mentor, friend, teacher. thank you. throughout all the years, i could not have asked for more. you never truly realize how much you pick up from someone after being forced to spend a few hours next to them every week, but i've learned a lot from you; more than you will ever know. i admire your passion and your ability to go out there and do everything, and do it well. you are going to be great someday. i miss you already. THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU

o8. you are the best storyteller. we can talk about anything. we met in the most unexpected way, yet here we are, years later, still facing the world together. we're the kind of friends that can go for months without seeing each other at a time, but we pick up exactly where we left off. everything could change, but our friendship never would. i know you'll always be around, and you can count on me. i always know that i'll see you soon. TIGERS

o9. nobody amuses me like you do. i don't even care what anyone says: you are wonderful. underneath all that initial pricklyness and questionable first impressions and the fact that you occasionally make me want to slap you, you are amazing. you are hilarious and talented and as much as you try to hide it, i know you have a heart of gold. don't ever change. YOUR BIGGEST FAN

1o. i am so glad that we're back on speaking terms. i'm sorry, i'm sorry, i'm sorry. i never forgot all the laughter and tears and long nights we shared and the incredible thanks i still owe to you. you always make me laugh, and i'm so glad that despite everything, we are able to forgive and rebuild this friendship. as it turns out, the laughter between us still hasn't changed. here's to hoping that it never will. MOUNTAINS STANDING

First Year Revelations

A collection of lessons I've learned from first year. A lot of conjecture on various university experiences, including but not limited to: mathematics, coffee, smiles, pseudophilosophy and love (or something resembling it). 

o1. Anyone who says math is about numbers is absolutely lying. There are no numbers in math, with the exception of 0 and possibly 1.

o2. The only acceptable letters in mathematics are x, y, z, a, b, f (as in f(x)), i and j. Anything else is absolutely off-limits.

o3. It's okay to change your mind.

o4. Everybody thinks they know what they want, but few people actually know. Realizing how little you know is the first step to enlightenment.

o5. When your new professor says "I do not discuss grades over email" or "these assignments should be treated as take-home exams", run. Very far.

o6. Never underestimate the power of a smile.

o7. Whether it's an all-nighter, insomnia, a hangover—coffee really is the answer to all your problems.

o8. Nobody knows anything about true love at 18, 19, 22, whatever. But it's fun to hypothesize, and you can get close enough to the real thing for all practical purposes.

o9. You can write something amazing and your professor will tear it to pieces because they are a hipster who is bitter over being rejected by countless literary magazines. Don't let them sway you.

1o. Bad ideas are the most memorable ones, and will result in the best stories to tell. Ask me about the time I pranked my linear algebra TA on Valentine's Day.

11. Ambition is one of the most attractive traits in any given person.

12. So is passion.

13. Being nice to the people working on campus will get you everywhere.

14. You should probably buy that textbook in September. It will be $150 well spent, and if you don't, you will regret it in April when you're staring at the poorly-scanned .pdf version you downloaded on your computer in an attempt to be frugal.

15. Student councils run a lot more things around campus than you could ever imagine.

16. The fact that the professor standing at the front of the room is an absolutely awful teacher and you occasionally doubt his sanity does not change the fact that he is probably completely brilliant beyond your current comprehension. It's easy to forget that our professors are some of the top minds in their field worldwide.

17. You will lose touch with the people who said "forever", and that is okay. You will also figure out who your lifelong friends really are.

18. You can get a lot of free food on campus if you know where to look.

19. Know your stuff if you're going to get into an argument over it with the professor in front of your entire lecture. Know it very, very well.

2o. Your campus will provide you with countless once-in-a-lifetime opportunities. Take advantage of them.

21. You will despise your field of study at some point or another. It is inevitable.

22. Taking a chance and smiling at the stranger you've been locking eyes with all over campus is never something you will regret.

23. Western is a big place when you're searching for somebody, and a small place when you want to avoid somebody.

24. You will wonder what you're doing with your life and seriously doubt your choice of major at least once. If you don't, you're doing it wrong. Bonus points for an existential crisis.

25. Do what you love. This is harder than it sounds.

26. Riding boots will make any outfit look more put-together.

27. There are a lot of brilliant minds at university, and also a lot of not-so-brilliant minds at university. Which is which may surprise you.

28. Every other faculty is underrated.

29. Raw talent only gets you so far; the rest is hard work. Never forget that.

3o. Good storytelling is an invaluable skill and talent. Learn it.

31. Everyone here has something to teach you, whether they are your professor, a classmate, a stranger or a friend. Be open to learning.

32. "I don't know" is, occasionally, the only right answer.

33. Being a mathematics major comes with an accidental minor in the Greek alphabet.

34. After a while, campus begins to feel like home. Like when you spend twelve-hour days there.

35. Sometimes all you can do is live life one day at a time and stop planning the future. Tomorrow could change everything forever.

36. You really can do it all—with many cups of coffee.

37. Despite all the early mornings, late nights and stressful weeks, someday you're going to miss this—so make it all count.

Staring Contests

“The power of a glance has been so much abused in love stories, that it has come to be disbelieved in. Few people dare now to say that two beings have fallen in love because they have looked at each other. Yet it is in this way that love begins, and in this way only.” 

                                                                                 - Victor Hugo 


i am not above stolen grins 

and obliging the occasional reckless desire

anything to capture your attention

i just want to be in your atmosphere.

i never thought that it would come to this—

goes to show what i know.

first chance, one glance

unexpected; out of nowhere

never could i have seen it coming

goes to show what i know.

i thought it would be just once

but you proved me wrong

whether better or for worse,

it goes to show what i know.

it's not quite like me to do this

it shakes me right out of my safety net

to meet your eyes, straight-on

staring me down; a challenge?

and the question

i am afraid to ask 

this is more than the other side of the door

and more than i could have fathomed

circumstance will decide our fate—

in time

so—

dear stranger with the tentative smile,

and the bold searching stare 

thanks for turning my world upside down 

the only thing i know now is that 

i don't know anything at all

you are the best thing

that isn't mine

yet.

waiting

is going to be 

the hardest part.

for now,

i will continue

to be your best-kept secret

The Witness

It was a routine Sunday morning
Sleepy-eyed, tired hearts
Meeting once again

I was there, paralyzed
By fear and my own weakness
Fighting the demons of my own creation
Until I surrendered myself to Love
Who always makes a way

And you were there
with watchful eyes; cautious as a dove
And before my eyes, you gave yourself up to Dance—
the smallest miracle; the wish of a searching heart
I witnessed you singing with the angels
A testimony to Love
Almost bringing me to tears
At the front of a crowded room

You may not ever know how much it meant to me
To see that one small step from you
But this is my eternal wish
For you

It only took a single moment
To remind me, all over again
that Love is here; alive
and
Love
is
Now

Innocent

     It is always springtime. In fact, it was right around this time every year. 
 

     The days stay untouched by time. The details are unclear and the memories are faded along the edges, but the time and place are always familiar.

     With the perpetual rain comes an inevitable shower of whirligigs. “Helicopters,” we called them. The maple trees produce their fruit in the form of keys which spin to the earth every April in torrents. It is an almost majestic dance—they flutter and twirl on their way down, often just barely eluding our childish grasp. I think their elusive nature drew us in. Children always like to chase things, and we were no exception. So we would chase without abandon, because we didn’t know to fear the world yet. 

     I lied when I told you that my mother said that successfully catching the falling maple keys would allow us one wish, you know. I just wanted to tell you something wonderful so that you might play with me at recess. Maybe six-year-old you saw right through six-year-old me. Maybe he didn’t—and maybe someday I’ll find out. But if you did, you didn’t care. We chased them with childish dedication, and we wished like we really did believe in miracles. To this day, I still do. 

     In our six-year-old minds, we thought that it would be good idea to plant a seed from the keys in the sandbox of the school playground. We nurtured that dream every day, making sure our little patch of sand was always properly watered. Unfortunately, we may have gotten a little ahead of ourselves when we dug it back up to make sure that it was still there. But that was my first encounter with a lesson on patience—and biology.  You have to keep faith in the things that you cannot see. 

     So imagine my surprise when I got your letter out of the blue, eleven years later, asking me if I remembered you. I asked how you thought I could ever forget. My perspective has not changed since those days. Though I have grown up, I am still the girl who searches for beauty in the broken and romance in the ordinary. I still want to chase dreams and make wishes with all the innocence in the world. Some would inevitably call me naïve; childish; disillusioned—yet I would not change a thing, because those spring days with you remind me to look at the world with eyes unclouded by the jadedness that comes with age. Childlike perspective is like looking at photographs through perfect glass. 

     Right now, you are just an idea; merely a passing dream. I wouldn’t know it was you if you walked past me on the street. Perhaps you are the stranger that I unwittingly shared a smile with today, or the boy that I passed by without a second thought. But it is dizzyingly mesmerizing to think that we watch the same sky every night. And so I will watch that sky and hope you are doing the same; that the simple action might connect us across the many miles. 

     The world could be winter, but it is forever springtime in my heart.

tonight i'm going to dance for all that we've been through ♥

o1. i miss the way you drive me crazy. i miss the way you play devil's advocate like nobody's business. i miss the way that we argued over the deep, philosophical issues, but also the way that we argued over utter nonsense, and the way you made me laugh. you always kept me on my toes. i'm also intensely curious as to where you'll be in ten years. i'll see you soon. SCIENCE AND AUTOCORRECT AND FRIENDSHIP

o2. i thought i had it all figured out, but then you walked in and everything changed. suddenly i don't know anything anymore. all i know is that i want to know you better. PERFECT STRANGERS

o3. where would i be without you? you've been there literally since day two, and we've seen the craziest things happen together. someday, someone's going to realize that you're absolutely lovely—because you absolutely are. and i promise that i'll be around to say "i told you so" and remind you that sometimes things don't work out only because there really are better things in store. lifelong friends are few, but i know that we're for real. 092008D2P5MPM1D1

o4. if there ever was someone who could pass as my twin, in every sense, it would be you. you understand me so completely in a way that no one else does, because we're two sides of the same coin—we are both fighters to the core. you've always been there for me, and you know i will always be there for you. if the concept of soul sisters did exist, i think you would be mine. also, you're a fabulous writer. MAKER OF MEMORIES

o5. wow, i'm sorry. we fought over the biggest thing, and i still don't know if i would have done it differently, but i'm sorry for the way it ended. i miss the simplicity we had before it all happened, because at one point in time we really were best friends. don't you think i ever forgot. you saw me through the worst; you know my story in a way no one else does. looking back on the past few years, all my best memories are filled with you. wherever you are, i hope you're having the time of your life. OUR HAPPY ENDING

o6. my dear, you are talented, intelligent, brilliant, hilarious, charming—and can absolutely do so much better. BEST INTENTIONS

o7. what is with us? i don't even know. no words can really capture who we are to each other. when we talk, we stumble and we trip over words because we can talk about everything and nothing—forever—and still feel like we haven't said it all, or said enough. i get bored easily, but you never bore me. you've changed me more than anyone else, ever. and after all the pain we put each other through, it sounds crazy, but i wouldn't change a thing. i hope we'll always be able to say hello. INDESCRIBABLE

o8. can i just be you? seriously. i don't know how you walk around being so perfect all the time, but i want to do it too! RED LIPSTICK

o9. i couldn't pick you out of a lineup. i wouldn't know it was you if you walked past me on the street. but i know what makes you laugh; i know your hopes and dreams, and i know that you're walking the line. just knowing that you're out there brightens my day sometimes. i love that we watch the same sky. i know that we didn't meet by chance, and i know that it's been forever since we last saw each other. but to me, you're more than a memory, and i can see it now. OFF BY HEART

1o. you're wonderful. you made things change; you taught me that i can do better. you taught me that i deserve better. you taught me that chivalry is alive. you do it right. i don't know what the future holds, but all the time i think how lucky i am to have you in my life; right here, right now. PUZZLE PIECES

“May I Have This Dance?”

a sestina

I.

It was the coldest night of all the year

For us to come and choose to dance

Snowflakes settle upon the lashes of my eyes

As I open the door to the grand (ball)room

Music and laughter greet me, feather-light

I know that this is where it all begin(s)

II.

Strangers, bold behind their masks, make the choice to dance

They spin across the crowded room

Drenched in dreams as the night begins

Lost in romance, forgetting the year

Intoxicating—; I could not miss the light

Emanating from the depths of their lovers' eyes

III.

So I take a moment, breathe it in, only to begin

To lose my breath as I meet your eyes

Staring me down 'cross the reams of light

The music stops. For the first time this year

I cannot move; I cannot speak—my heart, it starts to dance

As willing feet carry me across the room

IV.

The air is sweet; love permeates the room

Upon our shoulders, endless possibilities dance

A sensation so foreign; so strange; oh, the stories it will begin

I cannot resist the spark; the flame it will soon (a)light

This is what I have waited to feel all these year(s)

And I know that I am falling, lost in deep brown eyes

V.

We move together in the truest of dance(s)

My head spins as you dip me back; seeing the upside-down room

And I am alive for the first time with brightest eyes

The music slows, and I can feel the electricity begin

We seal the moment with a touch, searing like fireworks’ light

Winter's kiss is no longer the only one that I received this year

VI.

I read the yet unwritten stories dancing in your eyes

They criss-cross the Earth; go far beyond this room

As the clock strikes midnight to end the year

There is one more adventure that will now begin

I find myself breathless; captivated by the (star)light

We are forever changed by a single, fierce dance

VII.

The year comes to a close, yet our story now begins—

We will dance with the world as our (ball)room,

Guided by (star)light—and as for the music? It’s in your eyes