April 6, 2014

Arecibo, a Poem by Jack B. Rochester

Arecibo, a Poem by Jack B. Rochester

Arecibo Observatory photography by Stephen Alvarez

There were others, of course,

But I will never forget you and how we met

At the farmer’s market,

Oranges and cantaloupes and figs all around us,

The hot sun catching the color of your cheeks, your hair,

Your olive-black Spanish eyes smiling up at me,

Your lips ripe and luscious as the fruits

And how we walked through San Juan,

Laughing at the children dancing for money in the street;

 

As night fell we stood on the edge of Aricebo

And you took my hand and held it tight and I swear

I could hear the voices of the stars as they fell to the coil;

We ate crab legs and drank dark, syrupy rum

At a shack on the beach until our mouths buzzed

Then we walked to the beach, the sand glimmering

In the starlight, and you ran ahead of me.

 

My eyes followed you, you so like a pagan goddess,

Your long hair flowing free as you chased the surf,

The soft curves of your body undulating in mysterious relief

Against the waves washing over the beach

And so I raced after you, caught you, held you close in my arms

And you molded yourself into me, and we were,

You and I, one in that moment,

Completely in love

Before the universe.

Jack is a barista at the Fictional Cafe. 

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