Before movie dates and concert tickets,
Before fancy restaurant dinners, and cocktail drinks,
Before video calls, Facebook tags, and IG stories,
Before weekend airplane getaways and paid leaves,
Before Spotify playlists and Youtube videos,
Before Netflix and chill, and car make outs,
Before we can afford all of these,
Before we are 20 with a degree and 25 with a gene trophy,
We had classroom and library dates, and got jailed every Intrams.
We had street foods and softdrinks outside school, and prom with hideous make ups on.
We had long phone calls ‘til midnight and neighbours who spread gossips about us.
We had our secret spot near the river and told our moms we’re making group projects.
We burnt CDs with songs of our favourite bands and played them simultaneously in our houses.
We sneaked out late at nights, learned how to kiss and made out under the full moon.
We were young, broke and reckless yet happy and foolishly in love.
We were 14 and 20—matched by Aphrodite; almost like Paris and Helen's story.
Before this poem was written,
we were secretly holding hands inside the church,
we were sending I miss yous with our keypad phones,
we were kissing and thinking this was forever,
we were whispering I love yous in our balcony;
afraid that my parents would wake up
because of our hearts beating so loud.
Before this poem would end,
I hoped it wouldn't have even started.
Before, I had you
but now all I have is a poem.
-------
Photo by @kevinkinghorn