"I might just change your life..."

sitting on a park bench
jessica k. shannon

immersed in yates and plath
i sit. entranced by the page.
tears threaten to steal past
my lashes.
i lose the battle.

a flash turns my gaze.
he had captured my tear-stained face.
"delete it?" i pleaded.
he complied. it didn't matter
he had a picture of me in his mind.

this boy. frustratingly distracting.
the self-proclaimed know-it-all type;
impertinent, imposing.
gorgeous.

compliments sputter off
his tongue. blue eyes linger
as if he's found me,
as if my shipwrecked soul
sought refuge on his sand.

the walls of my vessel begin
to weaken as i listen to every
love-breathed word.
a perfect stranger read my heart;
no one else had ever tried.

his lips speak of future
and past times.
events we've never shared.
secrets, memories free from lies.

"is he mad?" i question.
whatever his mantra, i am captivated.
"i might just change your life," he whispers.
reaching for his hand, i take him at his word.