2nd street.

the leaves hadn't fallen yet
but we already were
inseparable and rumors
swirled as they usually do but we
were too awkward to
bring them to light

and one night i was in your room
as usual and we wanted
to go to bb kings and see a jazz set
but you thought it was too late but
i was unwilling to take no for an answer
and we ran out of hemingway hall
hailed a cab and headed to 2nd

we were the youngest people there by far
your goatee hadn't grown in yet
and i still had brown streaks in my braids but
we sat ourselves down in a cramped table
and listened to darnell levine croon and wail
the candles on the table smelled like
promise passion and love
subjects that we hadn't
yet got into our freshmen year in college
subjects that we avoided our sophomore year
subjects we are avoiding as i type this

and after the show it was cold
and that night the trees on 2nd
bid adieu to their dying leaves and you
had your arm around me, keeping me warm.

and on the way home, we said nothing
while the cabbie played miles davis
our silence was sweet and its vibrato hung in the air
we said nothing, and it spoke volumes