The last time I went to the doctor’s office
the nurse jumped out of her chair
because my heart was going faster than a human heart
is supposed to withstand.
The only explanation
is that I’m a hummingbird
and my heart is more like wings
that can’t keep still.
Did you know
a humming bird’s heart can beat up to 1,260 times per minute?
I think that’s amazing.
Not to mention, my incredible sense of direction.
I always know where I’m going
even if I don’t
just like bird know how to migrate north and south
even without a compass
and I don’t think I need a compass where I’m going
because if I’m going towards the horizon
all I need is eyes to see it.
Sooner or later, I’ll get somewhere nice
and even if I don’t
I’ll give it a nice name.
Maybe something like, “Paradise.”
Maybe paradise wasn’t what they were looking for when they found it
but they came across a tropical hell
and couldn’t help but call it home.
I want to call you home.
Maybe you’re not exactly what I’m looking for
but if I find you
I’ll give you a nice name.
Maybe something like, “baby” or, no--
No pet names allowed! We’ve already decided.
Because pet names are dumb and make you think about possession
and I don’t want to possess anybody,
I just want to love them.
I always love too much from too far away
so if I ever seem distant
know I am just buried in my love.
You can dig me out any time you want,
just call me things like “baby”
and I’ll stand up, love and all,
with my arms aching to hold you
like a high note on the Fourth of July.
You are my amber waves of grain and I’d never cut a maze out of you.
You’re already lost enough inside yourself,
you don’t need anyone else to be lost in you.
Every love poem I’ve ever written
was a love poem to the world
because I’m trying to find every reason to stay,
but I want to love you like a hummingbird loves stillness,
enough to touch it between milliseconds
but never stay in its arms.
Never let yourself be comfortable in stillness
always be moving
changing
migrating north and south every chance you get.
I think this world needs a love poem every chance it gets.
Did you know
a hummingbird’s wings beat even faster than its heart
and I can’t quite keep up
with how fast my feet are moving.