Eight out of eight

“Eight out of eight!”
That is how Ziel says, “That is wonderful.” “Epic.”
Dear Ziel, thank you for an epic summer. It has been 8/8.

—

8/8: bike, park, pal. well-oiled bike chains silent as fish.
fireflies threading ribbons of light through our fears.
crickets doling out peace like popsicles.

8/8: smooth skateboards and silver chisels.
x-acto knives that slice stencils like butter.
spray paint and dismembered cereal boxes loaded with tags.

8/8: chalk for your fingers and tea for my sanity.
red onions for your pita and rice for my beans.

8/8: no creases in your rulebook and no spills on my journal.
no chocolate in your cookies and chocolate in mine.

8/8: your poems in my inbox.
my poems in yours.
our poems like watermelons—sticky and sweet.