MY ROSE

love is in kind check-ins, 
community lunches, 
and contact exchanges so we can keep up

*instead of preparing you for the real world,*
*education should be incubating you for the real worl*d

love is in recordings,
in tape decks and multitracks,
in soul train lines & friendships that will never end

love is in unanswered emails,
in swift texts back,
in “you were on my mind”

love doesn’t lose its connection,
it hears the clock tower from miles away 

love is in hymns, 
remembering we got this far by faith, 
and looking forward 

love doesn’t lose its connection,
it can’t be locked out,
it’s in the crazy cacophony of crash outs and crashing cymbals 

love is in warm car rides, 
warm cups of coffee, 
and warm conversations with new friends

love is in answered prayers,
in PDFs, 
in professors that heard you when you couldn’t hear yourself 

love is in chess,
in conversations in the cut,
in calls you couldn’t make but thank God someone answered 

love is in fond memories, 
new experiences, 
and optimism at 4:44 

love is in windy afternoons, 
standing alongside strangers, 
United by service