Twenty Six

Twenty six brings sweet wine in summertime, 

His pulse beneath my left pinky on steady walks in dense heat, 

Sunburnt shoulders and cheeks freckled,

Numb feet in mountain waters wearing charcoal scented clothes, 

A capable body with a flexible mind, 

Sunday market cherries in cream linen totes, 

Poetry lived and written.

Twenty six brings strolls down the plank dock

A wagging tail ahead,

Wisdom friends rely on and clarity to know what I do not know, 

Yard games in plush grass,

Kisses that taste of nectarines on park benches, 

An eager heart with strong discernment,

Nights of flowery cocktails, slurred tenderness, and wild joy. 

Twenty six brings a love for myself pulsing in my chest, 

Harsh truths spoken from gentle lips,

Sunsets watched on the warm pavement of road centers, 

Laughter instinctive as breathing, 

The giddiness of seventeen in the freedom of adulthood,

Long hours, slow days, and quick months, 

Twenty six brings…