My First Heartache
By Anonymous, 16
You burned
Your smile into my eyes.
I thanked you for this gift,
And tucked it on my lowest shelves
So I could
Pluck it easily when I am down
And summon your warm laugh
The way you clapped, fell back
Into the sofa
And grasped your aching sides.
On my lonely nights,
I sighed at the sight of
Your eyes wrinkled at the corners,
Fingers dabbing your tears of
Joy across your freckled canvas.
On a Monday in June,
I realized
I love you.
On a Wednesday in July,
When you pulled out of the driveway,
Left me inside our home alone
My mind,
From dusk to dawn,
Replayed clips of you
and your crooked teeth
In your brightest smile.
That burned.
Baking like bread,
The best parts of yourself
You gave to her.
The “new” me.
Now she
Smiles with your dimpled cheeks,
Your tongue-and-cheek humor.
She seethes with your temper too.
When I cradled her hand,
Your flames, rolling waves
From your shoulders to hers,
Scorched my fingers and cheeks
Until I bled.
And then you left her too.
Rear-ended her heart.
Where do you drive to now?
Everyone knows the saying “Dads are a daughter’s first love.” At the start of my life, my dad was my own Prince Charming: he offered his shoulders for sight-seeing and flying, he helped me learn to ride a two-wheel bike, and he took me on endless trips to the library without complaint. But, as the years have gone by, we’ve grown apart in some ways. I hope one day we can reconcile, but until then, here is a poem about his lovely smile.
