love domesticates the best of us

love domesticates the best of us

domestic

ella washes pans

& likes the feeling

of fixing something

suds bubbling up

between her fingers

silver rings piled on

a sleepy windowsill

glinting in the midday

eastern oregon sun

i think we’re going

to tarnish anyways

while rachel pours

what remains of our

tomato basil soup

into a big mason jar

there’s something

painfully adult about

saving leftovers

scraping the bottom

of a pot to promise

we’ll be here when

tomorrow dawns

17 was supposed

to be wild & reckless

but instead of racing

a dying sunset i drive

wendy home safely

to make amends with

our friend because

we’re somehow too

old for grudges but

too young not to fight

in the first place

i smear justin’s

honey peanut butter

on fresh sourdough

when rachel forgets

to study or pack lunch

the most i can do is

bring a sandwich

in red tupperware

no use failing

her chemistry test on

an empty stomach

laura & i walk

their dog in alameda

four months ago on

a prismatic dance floor

i gambled all of

myself to want them

now we kiss goodbye

& go out on a date

every wednesday

our love domesticates

the best of us

amelia nason is a next generation indie award finalist, a scholastic award winner, and an alumna of the interlochen, fir acres, and new york times summer writing programs. she also edits for kalopsia literary journal. her work is featured or forthcoming in the ice lolly, eunoia, and origami reviews, as well as full mood magazine. when she isn’t writing, amelia fences competitively and enviously reads the acknowledgements sections of her favorite books. you can find her on twitter @amelia_emn.