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. Photo by Brittani Burns