You said you wanted to jump
Off the porch
Instead you sat out there and smoked

You asked me to braid your hair but
I didn’t know how to,
You bedazzled the TV remote with red rhinestones

I listened to you rap in Spanish
I let you make me ramen–
Our shared comfort food

I didn’t know how to reply when
You called me beautiful
I wrote poetry in the dark
So the light wouldn’t wake you
I stayed in our room
Because the door would have creaked
If I left
And I didn’t want to startle you
We’d just been watching horror movies
Plus I knew you needed some rest
You were tired/hungry/cold from living on the streets
Yet somehow you had the energy
To bother taking care of me

And I wanted to do the same for you