peanut butter & you

by: Lucia Llano

silence in the air then
the inching fingers of my best friend
trying not to ruffle the stillness
lightly turning the shutter scroll of a disposable camera
followed by a quick, quiet click
a slow, satiated exhale
then silence in the air

i look at her then, distracted, her candle-wick hair flickering in the wind
the tick of a camera shutter in silence
only means that someone just found something beautiful.
the tangible melody of gentle gratitude.
and she was right.
it was so beautiful.

outside the open car window
on this small country backroad
a lonely yellow field of wheatgrass
with seeds like little palms
waving to us in the wind

we used to catch grasshoppers in the fields like this.
you & i.
it was just what we did.
we were girls together.
i hope this never changes for us.

back through the canary field
we sit and make pb & j’s
strawberry jam spills out the sides
(there’s no such thing as too much of a good thing)

(if it’s truly true that the thing is good)

now that the peanut butter sticks to the roof of my mouth
like a tight hug
i find that i can’t push through it to say a single word

but what else could i possibly need to say?
i’m only circling the drain
you already know it all:
i love everything right now.
i love you & this world.
i keep my shutter scroll eyes open, ready, without fail.
it is all so beautiful.
& i don’t want to miss a thing.