Oeil Jumratsilpa’s poem celebrates those few people who inspire you live better and with more spirit. Illustration by Jai Kamat.

You see the halo when they come:
Yellow, laced with dark magic,
Their beauty a little crooked,
A deer ready to leap, a lioness, her teeth bare.

You see their hair:
Long grass, creeping vines in an abandoned house,

Or flames and smoke, a dance in the wind.

They will smile, their laugh will fill your lungs,
Their mind a galaxy, whirling ink and achingly bright,

Captured and jigsawed: a modern fairy tale.

Out of them pour notes, rich as butter,
Splashes and strokes, a dream you’ve forgotten,
Or a waking bell: words, like honey and thorn —
And you’ll itch and your ribs will ache, your throat a screw.

Some will find a spotlight their home,

Some will come into your life, stay or go,

Their halo, yellow and dark magic,

Imprinted,

You’ll know.

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