And Just Like That by Yan Sison

You’ll find yourself, as I did, 

sitting with your friends, 

tapping the left foot 

rambling, eyes roll up about their trip 

Fingers stretches out while narrating. 

And will say 

Wow, that’ s weird. 

Interesting. Tell me more about it. 

Drive home, touch the scruff 

say earnestly— this time without the farce Wow that’ s weird. 

Don’t spend your time on arithmetic; 

It’s not about the weight they lost, 

or the amount of whey protein

consumed. Things just happen. Just like that. 

You’ll find yourself, as I did: 

maladaptive hopeful young 

on a bench with the one you’ll want to say yes

to. Lucid into those thoughts so much: 

In that dream: a stroller with two kids, And

say Yes, baby. Let’ s ask Daddy. 

But right now—you’re better off by yourself in

analyzing the sunlight gleaming on the water.

It’s not something about passing the Bechdel test

or something about his nose 

  the perm 

 nor even his political views. Things

just happen. Just like that. 

You’ll hosts parties, as I did. 

Many shoes on the floor. 

Check the foyer 

not at nine or ten or at twelve. 

Spaghetti residue hardens over time; 

look around and wonder— 

whose acrylic fingernails home red grimes under? 

Let us  

urge not to 

If I only knew better 

but 

If

she 

could see me now.

Yan Sison is a poet based on the traditional, ancestral, and unceded territory of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), and səlilwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations. Some of his works were published in Pearls, a creative writing anthology.