to Maybell

may I, Maybell?
your name is almost beautiful
it rings in my head, like a bell
mayhaps it needs an extra e, no ridicule
then it would read May-belle
for your beauty defies the rule
and i wish i can call you ma belle

her name is made of two syllables that read as individual words: May and Bell. the name fascinates me so much. the cherry on top is its french connotation — belle means beautiful. this idea i toyed with through lines one to seven above.

because of this fascination, i went on to create countless nicknames from her name and its variants. there were the sweet ones: May, Maybelle, Mabelle, Mary, Mayapple, Belle, Beautiful, Maybelline (doubling as the beauty brand), Bell, and her personal favorite, Mayflower.

then there were the playful ones, determined by her mood or behavior. when she was unsure or hesitant, she was Maybe or Mayhap. when she overthought things or jumped to conclusions, she became Tinkerbell. when she was acting a bit slow, i teased her with Dumbbell. and when she was being real trouble? that was Mayday or Mayhem.

i eventually ceased to use the latter names. even though they were intended to be playful, i suspect they hurt her sometimes, even if she would never admit it.

recently, after a long, silent stint of my doing, the dynamic changed. she jokingly suggested i call her Maythorn. she meant she would proceed to be a thorn in my flesh, or perhaps that i was already one in hers. either way, i had lost my 'Mayflower' privileges, hopefully temporarily.

i suppose the poem makes it obvious why i found so many names. but reality doesn't always allow for "ma belle." that title remains in the verse. i promised not to ghost again, so i’m here to stay, as a good friend.