Birthday - Kiera A. Harvell

You’re turning twenty-one today

Happy Birthday, boy I knew once

I’m ready to go now

to flow away from dreams of you

– But I’m happy for you

maybe a little jealous, too

but that’s okay, I think

we’ll always have jealousy

sitting around with the regrets

the what-ifs of our lives,

drinking tequila and making

molotovs of our old passions.

But you and me, we lived

our time out in my dreams

it’s a regular romcom in there

playacting a fantasy only

too good to be…well, you know.

Sipping coffee on sunny

softening mornings, quiet,

steamy and smiley with

these gazes like one being

stuck together at the soul.

I dreamed recently that

secretly I was in love with

you – but that’s not true.

I gave you up like a bad habit

but I swear my subconscious

whimpered, being served only

cold turkey, so it balked and

confessed and damselized itself,

waiting for a dreamier you

to climb the tower, to take my hand.

Dream me, what is wrong with you?

Too bad, it is too bad,

I’m only in love with dream you

and, well, back then I know

you loved only a dream me too.

What kind of birthday will it be?

Naturally not as great without me

Oh wait – that’s just in my head.

Never mind. Hope it’s good one instead.

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Kiera A. Harvell is an emerging writer. She holds a BA in English Literature and a BS in Cultural Anthropology from the University of Central Florida, as well as a BFA in Creative Writing from Southern New Hampshire University.