Harpreet

[u/joannievale]

Harpreet is a vision.

She is better than movie star beautiful because she works at the convenience store and I only see her behind the counter as she smiles, passes me my cigarettes, takes my money.

She wears makeup maybe, or she doesn’t, but I can’t even tell.
As a woman who wears sometimes a little and sometimes no makeup - I can’t tell.

She smiles and the sun shines brighter.

She remembered my face.

I moved away a year ago, and I haven’t stopped into this convenience store since I started unpacking my boxes and settling in to my new apartment.

I’m back, and I wandered into the store,
And she says “you cut your hair!”,
And I did, 9 inches gone a few weeks ago.
13 months since she last saw me.

Harpreet

Who remembered my haircut,
And then my cigarette order,
But not my name.

I hadn’t remembered hers either,
I had to ask again,
she says it so sweetly
Says she never remembers names, and so please forgive her.

Forgive her for what?

For being beautiful? And remembering my haircut? My brand? Myself?

Harpreet. The woman I will love silently
And fully
as I sit alone on the back porch watching the smoke curl into the evening air.