The scent of apples whispers through the airReminding me of our lazy days in the orchardLying in a bed of violet morning gloriesInhaling the scent of the wind

Remember the day we held a butterfly funeralin grandma’s backyard?You found it in the dirt beneath the bougainvillea bushWith only one fiery wingThat fluttered into silence

We talked about everything and nothingBy flashlight under pink and purple sheetsBiscuit asleep between us, tail curled in comfort

You stopped coming aroundWhen you turned thirteenThe two years between usSuddenly yawned into a black abyss

You became a teenagerMore interested in texting than watching hummingbirds flyBoy talk, than watching the water dance in the fountainAnd now when we meetWe are strangers