Let's Keep It Simple

I remember their cries, Debris falling From their eyes As we watched the horrid news.

I was only ten, Scared of where to go next ‘Cause a plane might try To crash my location.

I never watched the news So attentively. I never truly noticed

How I was connected To thousands of people Through my small, southern-like home.

My teachers were frantic, Calling family and fleeing school To check on those in the city.

I sat in the church pew As classmates questioned why.

I wondered why God would let such a tragedy Fall on His people.

Were those outside the country Really His people?

Because in my mind, My Lord wouldn’t let His child Raise a sword against their siblings.

But I was only ten then.

Now, I look back With a cultivated mind And crafted eyes.

Satan tried to squash Our hopes and dreams,

But the Lord took tragedy And made it a remedy for our hearts.

Even if for one day, We hold hands Under one cloth

And pray to the Father For grace and mercy to fall.

Our hearts become thankful That we’re still standing;

All these words to the Man We often turn away from.

We mourn for the fallen While building our home larger; Our family becoming stronger.

One step closer To becoming the family God imagined.

Love is When my kids cry at night, Asking when you'll come home, And I tell them "soon" While caressing their hair And showing pictures Of us all together.

Love is When I write letters to you, Saying how I missed you And give details on The days you've been away.

Love is When I'm surrounded by couples And still think of you, Dreaming of the day When you'll return.

Love is Waiting at the living room sofa Every night for you, Only to fall asleep With the tv on a random channel.

Love is Thinking that you'll never return But still hoping you will While trying to live My own life somehow.

In the beginning, You never turned an eye To someone if They spoke poorly of you.

There was no stress Just from a person’s single glance In your direction.

Crowded rooms weren’t As traumatizing as When you were just scared Of not knowing anyone.

You didn’t even worry About your deepest failures And mistakes slipping through To the wrong people.

So why are you letting All of this press you now?

I miss the person Who stood boldly In front of their enemies, Who tested how far They could even go,

The one who could speak Their mind clearly And confidently Without fear of what A second party might say.

I miss the person Who did whatever they could To keep walking independently When everyone around May have thought that Such a feat was impossible.

I miss my idol, The person I was So proud of.

I longed to hear those words, To see the upward curve Of his lips, All because of me.

And when I felt his lips Press against mine, My mind swirled like Euphoria. Sweet euphoria.

But when did love mean That his hands could slide Further, past my arms And to my back? To my waist?

When did it mean that I would be pressed against A wall hastily while His hands are in my shirt?

I’m standing here, Eyes scrunched close While my mind screams, “No, no, no!”

But, My body is screaming, “Yes!”

But how can this be love If we just properly met? He’s only known my name For thirty minutes.

Love is meant to build Slowly and sweetly, And here he is Acting like Speedy Gonzales.

But with each kiss To my skin, My mind can’t win Against his persistence.

Where are his hands going? What will he do? What will he say? Is he taking me to another room?

Most important though, My answer to him is…