A Milwaukee Summer

Lets
watch the storm on the porch
make dinner and laugh
in the way we greet each other,
eat hash browns with coffee ice cream
and pick out all the M&Ms from the trail mix
Lets sit on the kitchen floor
complement each other
and talk about our moms -
the poetry they live
Lets jump in the lake
and into the rest of our lives
with the intention of “just cuz”
this is how we love…
Lets stay up late
get up early
earn our smile lines under string lights
with BS and banana grams
eat guac, sea-salt rice crispies, smoked salmon,
and cereal with wine at midnight.
Lets leave the door unlocked
b/c this is how we welcome our tribe:
the sound of the screen door opening, closing
*Knock, Knock* I say, “knock, knock”
Lets live like we love each other
and it’ll happen
cry, laugh and pray today
because history is messy
and tomorrow only really matters right freaking now.
Lets hug generously — I mean a lot -
empty our pockets of fear
talk about our dreams
with the language of friendship
“lets go to caffs” is the soundtrack of the summer
but karaoke Night has never seen a better rendition of Natasha’s Unwritten.
Lets speak to each other through spotify playlists
and live that Maggie Rogers documentary
Shit, Beyonce gave us Lemonade
and permission to create a different reality
for This is America
I’m not a Mother Fucking Woman, but I’ll scream it with you on the 4th of July, Kesha
God bless the women in my life,
and the POC that built Bronzeville.
Wakanda forever, is a spiritual we sing
and expression of pain we know
Lets stop pretending we know what we are doing
or that we ever will
lets meditate, run, and try spin classes
perform drunk card tricks
know the magic is in the space we create
and everything we say to each other when we lock eyes,
remain silent,
and blush at the ridiculousness of it all
Let’s write this story recklessly,
fast and slow
intentionally and experientially
unscripted with a plan to love
each other in the best ways we know how.