Mornings

I wake up too early, I always do

and now I spend mornings without you. 

And wake up to brilliant sunrises

when pink's still in the sky

The world and I rise as one

Put on my hoodie, 

soft like the light

and immerse myself in cold morning air

mount my bike

and pedal onwards with mountains by my side.

I go to yoga

Because I'm a good girl

where the heat is on high

and my balance is low. 

upward dog, downward dog

collective breaths

my sweeping arms salute the sun. 

I drink my coffee or my tea

pick up a Colorado Daily

do the crossword if it's a good day. 

and blast rap 

dance my face off, do some crunches 

lift some weights, 

practice stickhandling. 

Many an option for the restless young. 

Hop in the shower, 

not even 11. 

I think about your pretty face

my boyfriend who's not quite together

How I want to be together

How I'll help you wake up too

On Getting a Job

I'm sitting across from Mr. Boyfriend at a sushi restaurant
He's talking about a new car,
budgeting the money I make,
going to New Zealand.
This is not the moment for such thoughts

You don't understand, man
This is not about my new found finances
This about me being able to buy q-tips
About not selling my textbooks for money
or my new black chair or my computer speakers.
No more desperation.

This is victory
This is proof to my parents that, yes
engineering is a viable career.
This is proof to myself,
that yes,
the bachelors, the masters is not a waste.
The move to Colorado was brave,
not foolish,
something I put myself in doubt of often.

More importantly,
this job is the fulfillment of a dream.
The culmination of many nights spent unslept
The gathering of my greatest and best friends;
The midnight meetings before a test,
the snacks, the mysterious leg drawings,
the failures and the triumphs of being in engineering school,
wearing your heart on your sleeve
and your TI-83.

I just got a job, I get to stay in Colorado, I get to be an engineer
and life is great.