Arecibo Observatory photography by Stephen Alvarez
There were others, of course,
But I will never forget you and how we met
At the farmer’s market,
Oranges and cantaloupes and figs all around us,
The hot sun catching the color of your cheeks, your hair,
Your olive-black Spanish eyes smiling up at me,
Your lips ripe and luscious as the fruits
And how we walked through San Juan,
Laughing at the children dancing for money in the street;
As night fell we stood on the edge of Aricebo
And you took my hand and held it tight and I swear
I could hear the voices of the stars as they fell to the coil;
We ate crab legs and drank dark, syrupy rum
At a shack on the beach until our mouths buzzed
Then we walked to the beach, the sand glimmering
In the starlight, and you ran ahead of me.
My eyes followed you, you so like a pagan goddess,
Your long hair flowing free as you chased the surf,
The soft curves of your body undulating in mysterious relief
Against the waves washing over the beach
And so I raced after you, caught you, held you close in my arms
And you molded yourself into me, and we were,
You and I, one in that moment,
Completely in love
Before the universe.
Jack is a barista at the Fictional Cafe.
