For J - Avia Matossian

You and I are moon-tucked,

circadian rhythms apart while gripped

in our own four-poster gaze.

Chucked hesitation to endless breezes,

embraced abandon,

and traced unspoken promises on each other’s palms while we could.

We could fight it, but

finding it so early, too easy, too lucky,

too cherished-

who am I to question fate?

Half-smile glances build,

nestled squeezes stretch on.

With roots painting buried canopies this very moment will outlast

even the seismic tides to come.

We don’t have to say it,

and for that reason we make sure to every day,

every call, every pause before

a turned page;

“I love you.”

---

Avia is a Venture for America fellow and a recent engineering graduate from the University of Michigan. She is driven by a passion for all things product design, triple-bottom-line sustainability, and humanitarian collaboration and sees learning as a lifelong habit to thoroughly enjoy and pursue. She finds joy while walking among redwoods and pets dogs whenever possible. Avia often subconsciously lets empathy be her guide, especially while weaving together poetry from random stanzas that come to her just before she falls asleep. She rarely shares her written work beyond close friends but has decided that 'why not' is occasionally the best advice.