why

I keep trying
to figure out

how my dreams got
so tangled up
in your freeway
junctions

how I learned to
stay calm in the
afternoon traffic

how it ever
managed to get
so damn easy
to love you

I could attribute it
to finding peace in the
swaying palm trees

or the downtown skyline
I’ve been admiring for
three years

or the delicious
availability of a variety
of foods

or the wildly
colorful sunsets

I could say it was
the sky from the hills
of El Sereno

or the scent of the ocean
in Redondo Beach

or the sunlight
hitting the alligator
in the fountain
in front of Central Library

or the lights
of the theaters down
Broadway at night

but
when it
comes down
to it,

we all
know why
we’re here:

for those
with whom
we share

our rapture

who allow–who urge
our eyes
to see it,

dirty,
imperfect,
frustrating,

beautiful.