Life Sentence

Author: Nina Morgan

What a conversation 

Little trading cards of

Who we are 

Passed like middle school notes,

Small laughter across a table.

A flicker,

A passing recognition,

I think I knew you once

Or maybe I was just waiting to.

What a conversation,

Across state lines and

Flickering lights of hospital rooms

It's a lot to discuss, 

The days we trade to make it worth it

always end with "It'll be alright-

And if its not,

We'll make it so."

What a conversation,

Of dates and prices-

Always, 

Always dates and prices-

Until we find ourselves remembering

On mountain sides or singing rooms

The kids we used to be 

How we always told them

"Someday, I'll take you here,

Some day,

We'll go."

What a conversation,

Because someday 

We will go

And I will have spent the whole time

Talking with you 

"Call that a life sentence" I would joke,

And you would roll your eyes,

And take my hand. 

We'll put on a movie,

And talk through the whole damn thing.

Nina Morgan is a North Carolina–born writer inspired by nostalgia, romance, and speculative fiction. She currently resides with her husband and two cats in Raleigh, NC.