Tradewinds

The way the winds

Whip your hair

On a bridge

On a foggy day

Is how it feels

When he kisses me and

Runs his fingers

Through mine.

The way the winds

When they're strong enough

Can support you

No matter how far you lean

Into them

Is how I feel

When I lean on his shoulder

And he tilts his head to touch mine.

And I feel the heat of his face.

And remember

That I earned this.

The way the winds

Blow across a lake

And create gentle waves

That rock the boats

Like a lullaby

Is how I feel

When I can't sleep

Because I'm thinking of him

And counting sheep

Doesn't help--

Because he's from New Zealand,

He jokes.

(I'm buying him

A stuffed sheep for Easter.)

The way the winds howl,

In the night

When the moon is alone

And the wolves are too tired

Is how I feel when

I'm told by my best friend

That he was staring out the window

During the dance I couldn't go to

And I know

That he was looking at the sky

And thinking of me.

The way the winds lash at your skin

In the desert-esque heat

Of the too-warm winter

Is how I feel when

We watch horror movies

And I go to get food

And I come back to him

Hugging a pillow

Because without me

He can't function.

And as I sit down

He pulls me into his lap

And hugs me tightly

Abandoning the pillow

And squeezing me so hard

I can't even eat the food I found.

The way the winds whisper

And you think you hear your name

And you think you hear a song

Or a hymn

Is how I feel

When at lunch

He whips open his

Prized possession-

A golden fan-

And on it in sharpie

Is written

"Prom?"

And I can only put my arm

On his shoulder

And lean into him

And he gives me the fan to keep

And I hold it to my heart

All day.

The way the winds tilt you

As you walk across a road

And you almost stumble

Is how I feel when

He asks if we can

"Practice" kissing

And pushes me against a stair rail

And I have to bend backwards

And I almost fall

And we start to laugh

Into the kiss.

And then he compensates

And we almost fall the other way

And he catches me with a hand

On the middle of my back

And at the 15 second mark

We don't know what to do anymore

And we start to giggle

Into each other's mouth

And I smile into the kiss

And lean back to breathe

And he's smiling too.

The way the winds

Whip your hair

On a bridge

On a foggy day

Is how I feel when I

Stand back and watch him

From a distance

And feel like I'm seeing him for

The first time

All over again

A cute,

Tall,

Asian boy--

With these unique blond highlights--

Dressed up like he's

Interviewing

Every day.

My crush comes back

As I watch him

And as he turns back to me

And smiles

I feel my face heat up

And suddenly he's right there

And his arms are around me

And he's kissing me

And I'm the luckiest girl

In the world.