“Your Name”

(a prose poem)

by Jade Nicole Beals

I’d loved your name as soon as I’d seen it, like I knew it would be yours.

One night I dreamed you, it was finally you, I see you were pretty envied for how beautiful you are, I wanted to be your friend, and let the jealous have their fun. You could be the prettiest; I don’t care.

I couldn’t believe it was you and not another stand in actress in every dream should you appear. I could spell it, your name that is, with the new alphabet I’m learning; I saw how to pronounce it then. You reminded me of roses I couldn’t yet name.

I heard you from very far away in my dream, your voice speaking quiet words and a warm laugh to conclude. I listened, as if not eavesdropping, I woke noting that my phone showed no call.

It’s not necessary to avoid saying a person’s name just to not say it wrong; correct me. It sounded like one day you’d walked out of a dream, and you were singing. You would still be singing, it seemed, when I woke in silence and recalled the dream…

And your dark eyes and your beautiful face.
I wasn’t thinking how to pronounce your name as I was walking through the aisles. I was finding fruit, fresh dates, unrelated thoughts and delicious, too; I was writing about diamonds without the swords without the word.