She’s wearing a Van Gogh sweatshirt
Honey-colored hair, dyed
Ripped jeans and I miss autumn
With an all-at-once ache
I am a summer-born summer-child
But there is something about the leaves changing
— a miracle that disappears in Texas —
That reminds me that I can change too
That old Green Day day song is true for me
My memories of Septembers
Don’t do me much service
The worst of it,
Long sleeves covering torn wrists
And then a decade later
Walking into the courtroom alone
But I remember the cliches too
Apple picking and homecoming parades
And volleyball every day
And falling in love once,
When love looked different
I don’t miss the cold
But I miss my sweatshirts
And microwavable heat packs
And lungs burning with crisp air again
That feeling of falling in love
In the winter, I’ll say I miss the sweat