“There is such torment in my soul,” Taj Gibson whispered to his empty apartment, lit only by a single candle on his desk. He could feel the emotions within him bursting at the seams, begging to be released through the medium of poetry. He pulled to him a crisp sheet of rose-colored stationery and one of his finest ink pens, then began to write.
“As snow falls so gently from the sky
So does your beauty grace my eye
Understated, yet breathtaking, your smile
My winter goddess, my unending trial
When two become one in the cold of the night
When a connection is forged away from our sight
When love culminates in that final act
The only question I have to ask
Why have you been with Nemanja and Cole
When my heart has a Brianna-shaped hole
And Karl-Anthony too, in disgusting ways
The thought of those pictures haunts my days
I forgive you for engaging in carnal pleasures
But when will I taste of your forbidden treasures?
As Galileo looked upon those distant stars
I can only admire you from afar
Love is a simple word, but its meaning obscured
By sensations disordered and emotions impure
Through my poetry I hope to better define
What it means for me to be yours and you to be mine”
Taj reviewed the poem once, then placed it in an envelope. On the front of the envelope he wrote, in his most careful cursive script, “To: Brianna”.
—
“Excuse me? Sara?”
Sara, one of the other women on the Timberwolves’ dance team, turned around at the sound of her name. When she saw who was addressing her, she smiled, but the smile didn’t extend to her eyes. “Hey.”
Taj thought it was weird that she didn’t call him by his name. Didn’t the dancers know who played for the team? Still, he pressed onward. “I was wondering if you could do me a favor.”
Sara looked uncertain. “Um…”
Not waiting for an affirmative answer, Taj pulled the envelope from his pocket. “Can you give this to Brianna? It’s kind of important. Tell her it’s from Taj.”
Taking the perfumed envelope distrustfully, Sara slipped it into her bag. “Sure. Uh, I gotta go now. Practice.” Before Taj could properly thank her, she scurried away, but her anxious behavior didn’t bother him. He knew that this was the poem that would be the key to finally unlock Brianna’s heart.