Page Sutton Meet Me Halfway

Page Sutton– Winona Prize winner in Poetry

Meet Me Halfway

Let’s meet somewhere outside time and space‒Around the corner, to sit on the electrical boxes that say “CAUTION” on the sides. Underneath the arms of the pinetree, where we left our trinkets and treasures in the dirt last spring. By the lakeshore, to stare at the twisted weeds and say the things we usually say. In the tree in your yard, because we can spy on the grumpy neighbor lady. Let’s meet somewhere outside time and space‒Where we can consume millions of sour gummy worms and never get fat. In your bedroom, where the single lightbulb flickers and we play Connect Four on the bed until I beat you. Behind the shed when the sun sets, because they can’t find us there, and we have important things to discuss. At night, so our smiles aren’tvisible, but we can still see each other's dusty shoelaces and mosquito bites. Let’s meet somewhere outside time and space‒In your car, because I think I left my Chapstick on the seat last night.

The snowpilenear the school, we can crush ice under our sneakers and pretend we aren’t cold. At the stop sign, to scratch our names in the paint really small so only we can see them. On the roof of the garage, so you can tell me you don’t know what you want to be when you grow up. Let’s meet somewhere outside time and space‒Where we can ignore the big picture; it’s too much for now. In your head, so I can see all the reasons I’ll never understand the “why”. Between our dreams, to pretend for a while that our arms are noodles, and we are in love. Again sometime. Then, I can look in your eyes and take it all back.