I awoke to a surprise—
my sixty-seventh journey
around a distant star,
nestled in an abstracted galaxy
a universe’s breath from its
sisters and brothers, if a galaxy
has a gender and if gender even matters.
I remember us looking over
third-floor balcony, into the courtyard—
zip-up blue jeans and blue-cotton turtle necks.
We were going to change the world,
(our inner lives already blistered with loss,
with turbulence, with raspy enigmas).
We were going to change the world.
In fact,
the world changed us.
I awoke surprised
that I lived to look back, not forward,
that I can see my fruitless regrets.
As I stare out the window
still in blue jeans, but now,
I sport an elastic waist.
Just Carrie 
Yes. There it is.
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Happy Birthday for sticking around and still trying (seems like succeeding) to be your good self.
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Carrie, I absolutely adore this photograph of you. Somehow your lovely, loving, generous, good-humored spirit has shone through all those layers of technology. Oh yes, the poem, too!
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You are a beautiful person Carry, inside and out. So love love your writings. So happy to know you.
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I sport an elastic waist.
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Uh, you say that like it's a bad thing.
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