~from Michaela Hayes
I found this poem several years ago when I was going through my obligatory English major spoken word poetry craze. I was struck by it then and I’m still struck by it now. It’s been hanging out in my laptop bookmarks and I watch it every few months or so, just because. I love how it celebrates the recklessness of youth and allows short love meaning, despite its brevity. We live in a culture that places value almost exclusively on forever love, marriage, “the one.” I take issue with this approach. Love, regardless of how quickly or messily it combusts, can be a beautiful thing that is certainly worth celebrating. I admire how Johnson recognizes the transience of her past love but does not allow it to diminish her appreciation for the mystery person she is describing and their role in her life. Beyond that, I admire how she describes herself in the poem— as a woman seeking adventure, finding it, and not apologizing one bit.