To Kayo & Esha

To Kayo & Esha,

I’ve made homes in corners of the world:
Virginia, Brussels, Vienna, St Andrews, Rome
Toss that coin over my right shoulder
Wish for just one defining person
A best friend
A girl I could share my heart with who wouldn’t betray it

I was six years old when I first wished for this
Upon a shooting star, praying one day there would be a sign
In her direction:
Virginia, Brussels, Vienna, St Andrews, Rome
I thought I had found her in grade school
But the distance across oceans grew
I didn’t just lose contact
I lost the hope that I had found my best friend

You know when they say home isn’t a place, but a person
I’ve never lived in a place for long enough to call it my home
I’ve never had a person in my life long enough to grant my wish
I long for my sanctuary
I wait to have a genuine laugh
I yearn to smile at the sight of a best friend

I was sixteen when I wished for a best friend
Just one will do
The same year I got two
They are home to me
When a boy drained my heart’s lifespan
They played the music I needed to recharge it
They mended the cuts I didn’t know I had

With girls, it’s never easy to find the ones
The ones who are not your rocks but your soil, your water, your seeds
Expand your minds and hearts
Learn to let others love you like you love each other
Because trust me, when it’s genuine—it’s easy