Once upon a time, there lived a boy in the woods who thought he knew everything about anything. He thought that he knew every answer to every question. He knew how to choose the right words at the right time for the right things to say. He knew how to build fire in the maddening darkness at night, the forest trees towering over his little cabin made of old wood, brick and childhood memories. He knew how to seam his old sweater, which was given by his father three days before he died of cancer and regret. He knew how to smile in a way that made you think he was keeping a secret or two, which he did but none of it would be exposed to the ends of the world.
Once upon a time, there lived a boy in the woods who thought he knew the real meaning of being alone. He knew how to spend his time reading thick novels, sipping room-temperature tea, and looking outside the window to see the leaves changing their color in every season. He knew how to stand for himself, to fight for himself, and to rescue himself from the scary pitfalls of life he knew so well. He knew what to do and what not to do in times of desperation, sadness, and happiness.
But one day, when the sun rose to the sky a minute too early for time, he met a girl who made him question his knowledge about everything he thought he knew in this world. And this girl, whose eyes were the color of cinnamon barks, smiled at him, and he knew right away. Right then and there, the boy swore to eternity that he would love to spend the rest of his life questioning that smile.
YOU ARE READING
A Map to Anyone's Heart
Poetry"Stop making homes out of the arms of people who used to be yours." (Copyright © Flores, Catherine 2016)
