Letter to an Almost Lover

How are you these days?

I thought when I said yes

things would change —

It’s been years now, but

I will wonder about it.

Do you look at pictures

of me and find me pretty,

still? Do you wonder

the same things as me?

The day we got coffee

I stumbled over my words,

and you leaned in

and asked what I’d just said

and I blushed and repeated myself.

You had a limp from playing soccer

with your friends.

We talked about past high school classmates,

how our first year of college had been, about your horses and dreams of living

on the British countryside,

about my plans to transfer schools

and publish poems and novels.

We parted ways without even a hug,

and I overthought too much

to even text a thank you for paying.

Now I only see you in grocery stores

in the summer, stacking baskets,

and on Instagram

where you post strangers’ faces.