That Look

Dylan Alex is a Chicago-based writer whose work explores the intersections of identity, intimacy, and grief. Drawn to emotionally honest writing and the complexities of human connection, she is interested in the ways our relationships are shaped and in turn, shape who we become. Her poem "That Look" marks one of her first published works. Outside of writing, she studies acting, where she continues to examine emotion through performance.

THAT LOOK 

Dylan Dixon 

And if I never stop yearning 

for that look - 

that look that made my world stop, 

that unlocked a thousand doors 

inside of me, 

that collapsed every idea 

of what I thought I wanted 

and what I needed - 

may that yearning 

transmute into beaty. 

May you be my muse, 

the inspiration that catalyzes 

the outpouring of love inside of me 

onto the page. 

So when I gaze upon what has become of that look, I will no longer ache. 

And maybe - 

maybe I’ll realize that we weren’t meant to be after all. maybe you were simply the person to show me there was an entire fucking ocean 

drifitng inside of me. 

And when you and I are long gone, 

the love may expire, 

but its translation will live on.