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Description
he wasn’t the only one to fall in love in third grade;
you fall in love for the first time when he kicks
that older boy for making fun of your inhaler,
says ’ my mama’s got lots of medicine,
i think it’s cool that you can breathe yours—
hey, maybe it can help you breathe under water! ‘
you fall in love for the first time while choking.
it isn’t the worst pain he gives you.

you fall in love without realizing it’s love,
it’s just him, you fall in love with your best friend
but don’t think about his mouth until you’re both
thirteen and panicking about first kisses.
he’s whining and you want to help so you just do it,
just press your mouth to his and wish he could still talk
because you don’t know what to do, now—
but he presses back and his face his hot against your hands
and he pulls away and you don’t do it again.
he tells all the boys his first kiss was with a redheaded queen,
and you tell them yours had the prettiest eyes.
everyone laughs. he doesn’t.

you fall in love and don’t think it’s love, just him.

it’s love when you follow him into the woods, stupid
on the idea that nothing bad could ever happen
as long as you were together.

it’s love that stabs you through the gut and whispers
in his very voice. (this still isn’t the worst pain
he’s ever given you.) you gave him your heart
but it wasn’t enough; he wanted to hold it, too.

you know it’s love because you’d give it to him, if he asked.

Description
he wasn’t the only one to fall in love in third grade;
you fall in love for the first time when he kicks
that older boy for making fun of your inhaler,
says ’ my mama’s got lots of medicine,
i think it’s cool that you can breathe yours—
hey, maybe it can help you breathe under water! ‘
you fall in love for the first time while choking.
it isn’t the worst pain he gives you.

you fall in love without realizing it’s love,
it’s just him, you fall in love with your best friend
but don’t think about his mouth until you’re both
thirteen and panicking about first kisses.
he’s whining and you want to help so you just do it,
just press your mouth to his and wish he could still talk
because you don’t know what to do, now—
but he presses back and his face his hot against your hands
and he pulls away and you don’t do it again.
he tells all the boys his first kiss was with a redheaded queen,
and you tell them yours had the prettiest eyes.
everyone laughs. he doesn’t.

you fall in love and don’t think it’s love, just him.

it’s love when you follow him into the woods, stupid
on the idea that nothing bad could ever happen
as long as you were together.

it’s love that stabs you through the gut and whispers
in his very voice. (this still isn’t the worst pain
he’s ever given you.) you gave him your heart
but it wasn’t enough; he wanted to hold it, too.

you know it’s love because you’d give it to him, if he asked.