Here’s To You

Here’s to the one who is like me

Looking for more

Than a good time

Looking, instead

For a good thing

Unimpressed by loud voices

All those wasted words

Here’s to the one who wonders

Why certain things

Are certain ways

How curiosity has become

His act of defiance––

Caring

In a world that doesn’t

Here’s to one who pays attention

To people

And to songs

Laying in a dark room

Beneath the surface of an album

I’m never sure

If boy consumes music or

If music consumes boy

Here’s to the one who likes

Peanut butter toast

And pretzel M&Ms

And Corona with lime

Who tolerates

Green beans

And nothing greener

Here’s to the one who takes shots

Without flinching

He is brave in all the ways I am not

Here’s to the one who holds

Memories closely

His mind an intricate web

Of people, places, times

Mischief in a high school dorm

London streets of long ago

His dad broke his arm once,

Playing soccer

Here’s to the one who listens

With his whole body

Who lets me trust him

Slowly

More surely

Than anyone before

Here’s to the one who uses

All my names

Mattie

Tilly

Matilda

And their many iterations

My versions

Seen together

Here’s to the one who takes

The girl––

Compensating so hard

For all her shortcomings

––into his arms

And paints them differently

Not struggles but strengths

She can be strong

Here’s to the one with green eyes

Of ocean

Right before sunset

A color not meant to be seen for long

Dying quickly

Except for in his eyes

How lucky we are