For a friend.

You sat across the table
From me,
And you gave to me
A sense of friendship.

Your eyes sparkled,
Talking about your familial bonds,
And the commonality in which
You shared
Captured me.

This is where the community began.

From there,
I met the one with perfect English
And sweet serenity
And enthusiasm.

I met the one with wild hair
And wild eyes
And a heart of confusing tenderness.

I met the one with charm and wit,
Fit for a vintage time—
His knack for poetry and rhyme.

I met the freckled face
That seemed to place me
Into the world of acceptance.

I met the girl with sunflower hair
And laughter that fills
An entire room.

I met so many more who impressed
And amused me, with various
Eyes and minds and thoughts;

But it started with you at lunch
That day, and I must say:

Thank you.

12.14.18