The __________ of the Universe: A Love Story
by Bianca Lynne Spriggs
| It was beyond midnight when she showed up at | The Crossroads of the Universe |
| his back door and asked him to take her on | The Sunday Drive of the Universe |
| a ride through backroads out past Elkhorn Creek. It would be | The Honeymoon of the Universe |
| just like the night she wore | The Sequined Leotard of the Universe |
| a neon wig and her favorite leopard print heels but lost one at | The Truck Stop of the Universe |
| The Dame, which tended to smell like | The Armpit of the Universe |
| a careless night out with friends. She blushed at | The Mating Call of the Universe |
| his suggestion that instead they throw a dance party for two as bottom-shelf as | The Underrated Wine of the Universe |
| the cheap seats on the opening day of Keeneland. He told her that the first time seeing | The Secret Identity of the Universe |
| her under the golden gingko tunnel on Catalpa St. felt like finding | The Long Lost Left Sock of the Universe |
| the perfect peach in the Farmer’s Market before brunch on a Saturday after | The B-List Cult Movie of the Universe |
| Rocky Horror the night before at the Kentucky Theatre. | The Wishbone of the Universe |
| And perhaps a stroll past Triangle Park’s cascading fountain could be a quest to discover | The Middle Name of the Universe |
| all the daydreams they’d ever dream to light the city up like | The Signal Flare of the Universe |
| a handful of lightning bugs backed by a choir of cicadas. | The Roadside Attraction of the Universe |
| She knew his gravitational pull would lead to nothing but | The Hangover of the Universe |
| wandering around downtown all the way from Charlie Brown’s | The Candy Heart of the Universe |
| to the Lexington Cemetery. They might drift to Short St. where Gallerie Soleil | The Errant Nipple Hair of the Universe |
| used to be. Maybe they’d have enough time to join | The Dregs of the Universe |
| the 3 AM crowd at Tolly Ho and order | The Love Jones of the Universe |
| all the deep fried delicacies they could eat. She’d always be willing to risk | The One Night Stand of the Universe |
| heartburn for him. It was settled. He couldn’t resist her wonky winking eye | The Recalled Part of the Universe |
| any more than he could resist entering the enchanted forest in | The Bellybutton of the Universe |
| the UK Arboretum. They held hands down Broadway | The Sweet Potato Vine of the Universe |
| all the way to Gratz Park and were so busy telling one another | The Knock Knock Joke of the Universe |
| how great the other looked in that creamsicle sheathe of streetlamp light | The Compact Mirror of the Universe |
| they forgot all about why they left in the first place. Something about taking | The Dark Ride of the Universe |
| the long way. Something about putting down deep roots in the thin soil of | The Waiting Room of the Universe |
| their hometown. |
Inked forever on the bodies of 253 residents of Lexington, KY is a love letter to the city they call home.
