You’re chasing me through the garden sprinkler again Screaming that the water’s too cold and I’m screaming back that you’re just scared to lose You tackle me into the grass, both soaked, laughing like kids who stole summer You kiss the chlorine off my lips and whisper “Marry me when we’re old enough to know better” We were seventeen, running faster than the clocks could ever catch e shifts at the car wash just to take you to the drive-in We’d park in the back row, ignore the movie, fog the windows with stupid plans Said would build us a house with a porch big enough for ten dogs and a swing You laughed, “only if it creaks loud enough to wake the neighbors when we kiss at 2 a.m.” Carved our initials in wet cement Told you “now the whole town walks over our love every day” We turned every ordinary Tuesday into fireworks You’d text me lyrics to songs that didn’t exist yet I’d send you voice notes of me laughing at your terrible jokes We were writing our forever in sharp on each other’s skin Certain it would never wash off We were golden, golden Sun-kissed skin and reckless hearts exploding Every touch felt like the first time the world made sense We were golden, golden Swore the summer would never end And for a while, it didn’t Then October came with hospital lights and words I didn’t know how to pronounce You still cracked jokes between the beeps, said the IV made you look badass I held your hand while the machines got louder than your laugh You told me “don’t you dare wear black to my funeral, wear that yellow sundress I love” I said “shut up, you’re not going anywhere” You smiled like you already knew the truth Last thing you said was “find me in the sunlight, okay?” I’ve been chasing it ever since I still set two places at the table Still buy your favorite cereal that goes stale I wear your yellow sundress in November Freeze my ass off just to feel you in the breeze Everyone says “move on” But they didn’t hear you promise me forever when forever still felt possible (soft, teasing, fading in like sunlight through blinds) Baby… I kept my promise I’m in every warm spot on the sidewalk In the creak of that swing you never got to build Keep dancing in the sprinkler Keep laughing too loud I’m not gone I’m just the golden you feel when the light hits just right We were golden, golden But the sunsets come even when you beg them not to Now I’m chasing light that doesn’t stay We were golden, golden And I’m still wearing yellow Still waiting for the summer to come back to me We were golden We were golden I’m still golden Because you never really left You’re the light I can’t hold But God, I’ll keep reaching (Yellow sundress spinning in cold November wind) We were Golden… Golden… We were Golden… Golden… Golden…
