We sat in that cafe

And I poured my heart out

And told you my greatest fears

I told you about what my heart aches for

as I painted my perception of the world to you

And you told me yours,

And you cracked a modest smile

And told me that I was a warrior,

I smiled back

And took your advice

as I listened on as you shared your words,

We carried on sipping our hot drinks on that rainy winter day

as we shared our poetry and fragments of personal and made-up stories

As we do from time to time,

exchanging our thoughts and ideas

In this sacred space where everything goes and all is valid and worthy of critique

Where concepts flourish as they burn radical change through unturned pages

The uplifting and enlivening moments

Are the ones we must keep

And hold onto forever

To help us learn and grow