Ellen

17

Stories

Our lives are defined
by summers—chapters
while everything else is
cramped in the margins

Our silhouettes are steady metronomes
we spin dirt in the humidity—together
under our weight, taunt the rope groans
the whole baseball field stretched below

Our feet splash beats against concrete
racing after ice cream trucks, satisfied
hair wet and swinging
leaving marks of damp chloride

Our friendship bracelets tied
fingers nimble and fast
coral, amethyst, chartreuse
sure that novels always last