“Hi” and “Bye” rhyme for a reason
Just like “love” and “shove,”
One inevitably leading to the other
After the stardust starts to rust.
My favorite midnight maiden
Bounces between the two
While occasionally returning to me
When she wants to rest her restless eyes.
Spontaneous special occasions,
Off-the-cuff rehearsals
For when she has to do it for real
With higher stakes and second takes.
Each conversation too relaxed,
Too perfectly balanced
To ever possibly match
Her constantly rotating dreams.
Grateful to be a sanctuary,
An oasis in this desert of one-and-done desertion,
Still I wish she’d come to me
In times she already feels safe.
Sam Hendrian is a Los Angeles-based filmmaker and poet striving to foster empathy through art. Every Sunday, he writes personalized poems for passersby outside of Chevalier’s Books, LA’s oldest independent bookstore. You can find his poetry and film links on Instagram at @samhendrian143.
