for shirin on her 19th birthday

Bodies as ripe
As the apricot in my hand
Bodies golden as the sand
We are as delicious as our late dinners
Beautiful as the summer fruit
Sweetened to perfection

We are turning heads
Two beauties unalike
I’m fair as a Scandinavian
She is quite a sight
Dark like a Spaniard
I am day; she is night

Men call out to us
But we keep to ourselves
Aware of false motives
Bored with empty words
Few can make us stop and listen
Struggle to be heard

She wanders
And I rush along
She stops to gaze
Breathes an air of calm
I walk quickly in a daze
The restless; worried blonde

This summer was ours
We owned every second
Every meal, drink,
And late night conversation
Every glance, every smile
Every liberation

Shirin has been a major part of my life in the past few years. She shows me everything I look away from and forces me to take in the world around me. She questions me. She calms my nervous soul. She forces me to realize things about myself. Together we wander, we dream, and let our creative minds take us down unmarked paths.

You bring colour to my life Shirin, happy birthday.