Coffee-chocolate wafted through the air, sickly thick and heavy-set, like the collision course meeting the day we met. I opened my mouth to scream “Come back to me.” and his taste flooded my senses: strawberry and Frankie. My whisper just emerged a choked imissyou that melded with salty tears.Autumn leaves, gutter-bound, ruffled as a gusty gale picked up and the sun peaked over the horizon. Sharpie scents cut through coffee shots and I caught a vicious star before it vanished and I finished my poem, with a heartfelt wish on my fools gold.
“Starlight, Starbright.” I began but the words seem so bitter that I didn’t want to even try to wish on the golden hues. They were fools gold, a mission trip too far away, and I couldn’t find my way there.I stood on the roof of my apartment building, in search of the skies; waiting for the sun to rise again. I realized Frankie was invisible as I felt a whisper of air breeze across my cheek in the still night; a soft caress that barely hinted across my cheek and rested behind my ear, where he’d sing me to sleep.
“I want to fly.” Frankie squeezed my wrist twice before running his thumb across the pulse point. My mind wandered. I watched one of the black birds caw before setting off on his unknown destination. He was tiny and his wings matched Frankie’s hair. “I want to escape.” “Frankie.” I whisper as I watched another two birds fly out of the overhang, “You aren’t invisible to me.” I glanced down, hoping he’d understand my proclamation, but he’d already fallen back asleep.