Resignation
by Nikki Giovanni
I love you
because the earth turns round the sun
because the North wind blows north
sometimes
because the Pope is Catholic
and most Rabbis Jewish
because winters flow into springs
and the air clears after a storm
because only my love for you
despite the charms of gravity
keeps me from falling off this Earth
into another dimension
I love you
because it is the natural order of things
I love you
like the habit I picked up in college
of sleeping through lectures
or saying I’m sorry
when I get stopped for speeding
because I drink a glass of water
in the morning
and chain-smoke cigarettes
all through the day
because I take my coffee Black
and my milk with chocolate
because you keep my feet warm
though my life a mess
I love you
because I don’t want it
any other way.
I am helpless
in my love for you
It makes me so happy
to hear you call my name
I am amazed you can resist
locking me in an echo chamber
where your voice reverberates
through the four walls
sending me into spasmatic ecstasy
I love you
because it’s been so good
for so long
that if I didn’t love you
I’d have to be born again
and that is not a theological statement
I am pitiful in my love for you
The Dells tell me Love
is so simple
the thought though of you
sends indescribably delicious multitudinous
thrills throughout and through-in my body
I love you
because no two snowflakes are alike
and it is possible
if you stand tippy-toe
to walk between the raindrops
I love you
because I am afraid of the dark
and can’t sleep in the light
because I rub my eyes
when I wake up in the morning
and find you there
because you with all your magic powers were
determined that
I should love you
because there was nothing for you but that
I would love you
I love you
because you made me
want to love you
more than I love my privacy
my freedom
my commitments
and responsibilities
I love you ‘cause I changed my life
to love you
because you saw me one Friday
afternoon and decided that I would
love you
I love you I love you I love you
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I just have to write this drabble/short oneshot or else I'm gonna combust but here you go!
"They said I would find you here."
Eren looked up to the source of that melodic soft voice, his bottle of beer pressed to his lips as he was about to drink some. Even in the layers of coat, beanie, and scarf, Mikasa looked so beautiful, especially with how the neon sign of the pub illuminated her face, that it made Eren's heart pound to his chest. He should probably take the time to commit her face to memory; in a few days, she would be packing her stuff from the office and leave.
He couldn't help but fake a smile for her. To hide the fact that he felt lonely the day she handed her resignation to their editor-in-chief, Erwin.
"Crowd's getting louder inside, I'm starting to have a head ache," Eren said to Mikasa as he patted the space beside him. He took another swig of his beer while Mikasa made herself comfortable.
She was also cradling a bottle of beer for herself and for a few minutes they sat side by side by side, enjoying the inviting silence of the street being slowly departed by the people on their way to their homes or to the nearby restaurants and bars. A minus one of Last Christmas was playing inside the pub their company rented for the night, and the wails coming from Connie blasted through the pub's dilapidated speakers as he attempted to sing in-tune.
Mikasa chuckled, shaking her head. "I'm gonna miss this," she said. Eren looked at her and asked, "What, you're gonna miss your ears bleed with Connie's singing?"
"Honestly? Yeah." Mikasa looked back to where their colleagues drink and sing. "I'm gonna miss the whole team and their shenanigans during brainstorming."
Mikasa took a long swig of her beer before saying softly, "I'm gonna miss our coffee breaks, Eren."
Maybe it's the alcohol but Eren swore he saw Mikasa's eyes soften to a form of loneliness (?) but he would be calling himself delirious. Him and her were just colleagues, colleagues who happened to always get their coffees in the same cafe at the same time. Who happened to know each others' favorite sandwich and pasta for lunch.
She was just his colleague who happened to be his crush since their first day, during their first assignment writing an article about the most shippable fictional characters. And maybe, after four years of working together as writers and content creators, Mikasa was just Eren's colleague that he had harbored feelings for and now might be his only chance to say whatever these feelings were to her.
But, instead, Eren said, "I'm sure there will be better cafes in Hizuru, Miks."
What a fool.
Mikasa looked down, a falter of a smile gracing her lips as she said, "Probably." She sipped from her bottle and said, "But it wouldn't be the same."
What used to be a comfortable silence stretched out to become an awkward void between them. Minutes past, Connie's song was done, and here both Mikasa and Eren were, still sitting outside the pub, their beers getting cold as the snow started to fall. Why am I so good at ruining my chances, Eren asked himself. Why am I so good ruining moments like this? Probably because I'm the number one hopelessly in love coward out there, he noted.
"Um, we should probably go back inside. Connie said every one of us should sing in the karaoke machine," Mikasa finally said and she chuckled awkwardly as she stand. She was about to pull the door open when Eren suddenly said, "Miks wait!"
Mikasa looked back at him while he stumbled in front of her. Eren looked down breathing out as he whispered to himself, "the heck, pull yourself together, man," before looking back at her, eyes intense and mind fried with nervousness.
"I should have asked you a long time ago but, shit, I'm not really good at this. I don't know, fuck." Eren sucked in a breath and finally said, "I like you, Mikasa. And I don't know what I'll do if I don't say that before you go but, yeah. I really like you, Mikasa Ackerman."
Mikasa kept staring at him and Eren couldn't help think that he might have creeped her out. After what felt like forever, Eren didn't expect what Mikasa said next.
"Does that mean you're okay with long distance?"
Eren blinked once, then twice. Is he okay with long distance? He didn't have to think twice with his answer.
"If it's with you, I don't mind."
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BREAKING: Liz Magill has tendered her resignation as President of the University of Pennsylvania. She will remain a tenured faculty member at Penn Carey Law.
Magill has faced intense pressure following her testimony before a congressional committee on antisemitism which faced bipartisan criticism.
Prior to her appearance on Capital Hill, Magill and Penn had been criticized for their handling of antisemitism on campus.
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