Things to commit to memory

I spent Halloween night writing and singing songs with my friends. It was the very definition of living my best life. This is for them.

My heart is so full
Of mismatched stickers on computers
Fantastic bouts of laughter
Cigarette breaks in the coldest darkest night
Plush leaf sheep petted, coddled, traded from hand to hand
Dark secrets of Google searches revealed

Our fearless leaders:
Pink hair, clear eyes, green tail
Construct elaborate militant theories
About giant monsters, savior robots,
Humans crushed under their heel

A twin by my side
Enthusiast romantic chemist
Pilot of twenty one vessels
Trash collector king:
My serendipitous brother

This community of dedicated warriors:
The quiet pitter-patter of their typing fingers
Spinning into being, heart-shaped, hard-edged,
Untold worlds, luminescent on a dusty keyboard
Through obscure challenges and inside jokes

This drivel we’ve written
This dream of ours
An unpalatable house of cards
Crumbling under the weight of our critical minds

We exchange stamps, cards, notebooks
Enough food and coffee to feed a small army
Of relentless storytellers
Diligent wordsmiths
Stumbling, half-awake, through the hurdles of adulthood
Hopeful, toward a bowl of hummus

The sun crests high windows
Ornate ceilings
A guitar, five voices
Exhausted, heartfelt, elated
Drag half-forgotten lyrics from their deepest teenage angst
(Even Thom Yorke wouldn’t
Take this from us)
Melodies warm up my icy fingers, my black-striped soul
Until they remember how to sing

Down on the ground, up through the roof
We drown our weary bodies
In pancakes and syrup
My daydream empire for an inviting bed

But the warmth of your smiles
Keeps me awake
Humming
Climbing
All the way up to my ivory tower

I feel alive when I’m surrounded with
Talented driven compassionate silly
Rainbow-colored
Friends