Taken from: Seeing Emily by Joyce Lee Wong (p.73-74)

LONGING

Sitting in the geometry classroom
in the minutes before class started
on a Friday morning in October
I looked out the classroom window
to see a spattering of rain on the glass
and a gray haze cloaking the air.
I yawned,
chafing against
the closed, must feeling of the room.

A shriek and a chous of giggles
made me look up,
and through the classroom doorway
I saw a group of freshman girls rush by,
I was about to look away
when someone else came into view.

It was a boy who'd stopped
to talk to someone.
His back was to the doorway,
so I couldn't see his face,
but there was something familiar
about his blue jacket
and the way he stood easily,
with back straight
and his stance relaxed.

Just then,
he glanced into the classroom,
and I recognized
the new junior.
Nick.
Color rose to my face
and I wondered
if I should smile at him.

But the moment passed
as he glanced away,
then disappeared from view.
The room seemed suddenly to lighten
and I looked back at the window.
I saw the sun fighting
to break through the clouds,
and in the qucksilver light,
hovering
between brightness
and gray,
I felt an aching,
a powerful longing
for something
I couldn't name.