My Funny Valentine

Crow Villanueva ’25

It swirls through the air

On waves tinted with brass the hue of the setting sun With notes as soft as rose petals Pressed gently between fingertips

It tastes like lavender and lemon A drink I once savored many years ago. Carbonated accents popping over the tongue A sweet aftertaste wrapping it all up.

The campus was warm in the summer, Humidity raising up old stories, That ran like a river from my father— How they had met, In a time far unlike my own.

Between small sips, I wondered, If I would, one day, call this place home too

It soothes me to hear its voice

Warm water working into weary bones Steam that releases taut skin A lullaby for the soul.

My mother sometimes visited me Reclining on my bed as I hunched over my desk Eventually, like clockwork, she would doze off into rest I knew it put her at peace, As it drifted lazily around the room

She never shied away from how it tired her Perhaps, I one day, will sleep to it too.

It plays in the background of my studies, Taking on more forms than moon phases. Sometimes loud, with crashes and thunder Sometimes soft, silken and tender.

Yet through all its manifestations, On the sunniest of days and coldest of nights Through tribulation and tranquility I feel most comfortable When I can hear its velvet tones Dragging me in.