Inspired by Penelope Alegria’s Scrapbook Poem 

You say the colors are brighter and I notice how green the grass can be

I eat so much cookie dough that you have to hug me so we have enough to cook

I never take off the bracelet that you gave to me

You hold me tight while my body tremors in between sobs

I send you good morning as part of my routine and don’t fall asleep until I see your goodnight

You say “boop” as your finger presses my button nose and wait for me to respond in turn

You have a scar on your arm from when you taught me how to fight

We ruin the kitchen and our clothes as we bake my coming-out cake

You read me sci-fi stories until I fall asleep and I read you fairy tales

My hair dye stains my white shirt because we took a walk in the pouring rain

I tell your brother to shut up when he laughs at our matching nails

I convince you magnets are magic, but you still disagree about gravity

You watch every episode of Parks and Rec with me because I want to see it a fifth time

You put cream cheese on toast and cut a hole in the middle so it counts as a bagel

I sing you made up songs that only sometimes rhyme

You give me a blanket that looks like a giant tortilla

I roll my eyes when you call me your little burrito

You annoy me by laughing while I try to pronounce dilemma so I say diorama instead

I annoy you by poking your face and pretending I’m slapping away a mosquito

You say we’re the hivemind because it’s from your favorite videogame

I quote Slimecicle and Billy Madison and you always get it

You smile because I always purposefully mispronounce your last name

You make up hand signals because I’m nonverbal during panic attacks

We decide three taps means “I love you,” four means “I love you too”

I yell at you for trying to stack plus two’s in Uno, house rules

We have the same favorite band, AJR, and the same favorite color: blue

Our book is Ready Player One because we read it together

Our restaurant is McDonald’s because it’s all we can afford

Our emoji is the laughing-crying one we send after every meme

Our sport is four square because that’s all we play

Our place is the woods behind the church

Our food is anything with extra sugar

Our flower is a dandelion

My person is you

And your person is me