There was a prompt earlier this month to write a love poem. I decided to save it for my special someone on her birthday this year –

I still remember that conversation with you.
Catching up after years,
leaning over the stained oak counter
sharing the El Guapo club sandwich.
It was as if our time apart was an illusion.
Oh, I remember the astonishment
over just how familiar it was.
And so when the rest of the world
began to dissolve that dark, devastating spring,
a beautiful silver lining formed.
Our friendship, the seeds of our love flourished.
We texted and we called
We spent countless nights together while apart
We ridiculed those BuzzFeed questionnaires
We endured, or I endured, the entire Bollywood slate.
And that humid July night
when we found ourselves alone
amidst the chaos.
You told me you still had feelings,
it all came rushing back, roaring to life.
As someone who takes the utmost pride
in logic and ration, this one
I just can’t seem to puzzle.
And so here I am, in New York by your side.
Laughing at nonsense, laughing at sense,
sharing each little win and each little hurdle
together at last.

Wishing you the happiest of birthdays, Sehal!