When My Best Friend Asks Me Why I’m Not In Crazy, Stupid Love With You Already
Have you ever stood out in the cold for so long that your fingers burned like stab wounds when you finally found your way back to the warmth?
By Heidi Priebe
She asks me,
isn’t he
everything you wanted
doesn’t he feel
like coming home?
I say,
Have you ever stayed awake so long
that your mind forgot to fall into a slumber
even when your body found its bed,
Have you ever been so hungry that your stomach
knotted into a ball,
Have you ever stood out in the cold
for so long
that your fingers burned like stab wounds when you finally found your way back to the warmth
I tell her, love
is just one more thing
that you can forget
how to fall into
how to digest,
I say, hearts
just like our bodies,
can acclimatize
to even the coldest extremes
And even they require some practice
at remembering
how to unthaw.