To Adriana Cruz, My Future Sister-In-Law, Whom I Adore Poem by Brian Escamilla

Dear Adri, whatsup? Look, I'm writing to you!
On account of the things that your poems put me through.
I know you're embarrassed of them and that's fine
But believe me the brunt of the pain here is mine
As I sit here and stare at my computer screen,
It stares back at me in red, blue and green
Shooting harmful rays at my fond memories
Of a time when my life was much more than these:

My chair, it's a weight as I'm cast of the deck
My tie, a silk noose that strangles my neck
My credit card bills, car insurance and rent
Swim in these murky depths where my time, now, is spent
Trying to reach the surface and break through the ice
When your sister says, 'Bri, a new car would be nice...'
So I let go and sink to where I'm s'posed to be
Where dreams surrender to responsibility.

But, as I read your poems, I'm reminded of
When all that mattered in this world was love
Or, at least, what we believed it to be
And we flexed our emotions quite liberally.
When life was not yet a weight to be carried
And none of us knew what it meant to be married.
So now I'm inspired to give my advice
To you and to all who are still full of life

To the Justin Truloves and the Bryan Bugays
To 'Ito Rivera and Danny Baez
Keep breaking her heart and keep making her smile
Those feelings will only be strong for a while
To you little sister with whom I have grown
Keep crushing on guys and talk on your phone.
Race in your mini, be sure to enjoy it
'Cause soon life will come around and destroy it
And don't ever think what you're feeling is wrong
And don't stop believing in your favorite song.
Believe me you will have to live out the rest
But right now this time of your life is the best.

That's all I can tell you before I get older
And the fire in our hearts has grown even colder
But I must ask you this before I go
Could you spare a little youth for your pal, Braino?