For My Friend, With love

We met on the path in the trees,

next to the sunset floating on the lake,

immediately recognizing each other’s

magic– like fairies do.

I send recovery tips

and you write me “bad poems”

which I send back with graphics

in an attempt to illuminate your voice’s beauty,

and our shared truths

you send me healing oil scented with love

and I send you cotton candy and snail stickers and more cotton candy too

and we acknowledge the sweetness

hold it up next to honesty and our values

integrity in the shape of

crystal balls and christmas lights and the goddamn trinity too

and then we use that accidental gallon of glue to repurpose

or remap

redefine what it means to be connected

in this way that–

Magnetic poetry and

we exchange books and snuggle up

and laugh, deep (scarred) belly laughter,

and tell each other stories and ask

the important questions without

pause.

Like: Do you like green olives?

Rainbow dancing from friend to family

and I text you first when I need to call 911

and you text me first when you’ve started a new self-diagnostic spreadsheet

a safety nest sturdy enough to spin around in, safe enough to be a woman in,

if such a place exists: every day a step closer to unmasking our whole selves.