Lighting of the Lawn

There hangs a golden orb,

Illuminating the chiseled chins of uva’s finest youth,

You all look the same,

Brown hair and tall stature,

I’ve seen you fifty times in this crowd,

None of them were you.

Now I’m directly under the orb,

Staring up in awe,

A little tired and a little flustered,

But finally you appear,

A mess of blankets,

I barely recognize you,

I can see you are freezing,

But you flash me a playful grin.

There are people all around,

Bundled in scarves and pea coats,

Sipping on warm memories of cocoa and cider,

It’s December but I am warmed by thoughts of love,

I look around at smiling faces,

So familiar yet so new,

Has it really been a semester?

It is Christmas,

Snowflake ice sculptures and festive evergreen,

Red velvet ribbon and a capella carols,

We sit on your blanket and I take it all in.

I lay my head upon your stomach,

Hold your body close with my one arm.

I close my eyes and feel the vibrations as you talk,

You are not speaking to me, but I can hear all you say,

Each rumble is sweet,

I’m reminded that you are here,

We are all here,

Bodies touching under the cold wintry sky,

Listening to the sounds of laughter and music all around,

My first lighting of the lawn.