you hope that love

will be

a warm handshake

not a punch to the teeth

or a kick to the stomach

not a constant hail storm

but a summer afternoon

where you casually sip

spiked lemonade

while her arm is

wrapped around her shoulders

 

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Vanessa is a queer person of color who is a writer & other things.  She’s been published in Enclave, Faded Out & Rag Queen Periodical. She also founded/runs an online literary journal.