Ottilie

you don’t know this

But i can feel the way

You pull away from me the way

You shrink back when people stare at us too long

I want to take your hand, stand strong with you

I know it might make you nervous

so I don’t

Instead, I buy you coffee

hug you closer

Tell you how strong you are.

“hey there, chipmunk.”

I love your smile, the way

you laugh at stupid jokes the way

You crinkle your eyes, tilt your head to the side

Sometimes I’m scared to say you’re beautiful

What if you understood

and left me

You say beauty runs strong, deep

like a river

And you love me for mine.

You remember

That picnic lunch the way

We talked for hours on end the way

We sat on the hood of my car in the park

Sharing the cookies, naming the stormclouds

When the rain came we hid

in the car

And we were strong and we were

beautiful

And this is love