something something musical chairs
by Luke Carmichael Valmadrid
No first sight falling, more an induced dream
drawn out, lulled by chalk smell and coffee notes
splashing through clef transpositions. Drunk on fumes,
running on clouds, I started staying up late,
to wake up early, to set up the room with you,
to choose the chairs we would sit in
across from each other. We predicted
eye contact, flint on steel strings, hot laughter in cold weather --
firework bursts in snow globe moments,
and that the spaces between those chairs, the lines, and the memories
would tread water to bloom for years to come. We
were right, though we have also since stopped saving time
by spending it across from each other.
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Luke enjoys cooking tofu, qualitative research, IU's prolific body of work, and playing video games with faraway friends. Is also an M1 at UCSD. Hopes to make some music soon. One time.