Something Sappy

I had never been in love before.

I avoided it. A veritable pariah.

I coasted through high school

with my nose in a book

baggy sweaters

and a tomboyish appeal.

I was not interested

in menial relations

and bore a case of near

haphephobia.

Most of my friends

happened to be men

and I was reading King

while girls cooed over-

eugh-

Twilight.

I met him in a class

I had offered at the zoo

which had me on a high anyway,

I mean-

who gets tutored beside a toucan?

We spent the night in a group

all herded into one room

and he wandered up and plopped down

and shared my pillow

while the rest of him stretched

comfortably away from me.

Not quite sure how to deal with it

I just laid there for a while

and eventually fell asleep

heartened when

nothing else happened.

We were friends for a time

dated, broke up.

Distance is rough

on any relationship.

But we remained friends

which apparently is rare

a mutual respect

that wouldn’t let it waver.

And now as chance would have it

here we are again

faced with a possibility

that distance

will no longer be a problem.

So for one last effort

we’ll give it another try

I’m hopeful that it works

maybe even confident

yet if it doesn’t

I find comfort in the knowledge

that despite it all

in the end

I will still

have my friend.