she asks him
do you believe

in magic?

in ghosts?

in angels?

and he thinks
he does

he'd rather talk about
how soft she is
and how lonely
he's been

he doesn't understand
the magnetism
that draws him
toward her

he doesn't understand
the poetry
that happens
in confused conversations

he doesn't understand
walls

or conflict
that advances and withdraws
with no warning

he can't see her blue skies
and doesn't know
that they bring real tears
that fade when
the rain comes

these things almost never
end well

maybe she should have asked
do you believe in me?

If you could swim inside this womb
to take a warm slow bath in the blood,
I’d piece together those moments
of borrowed flesh

I am conjurer crafting
water from stagnant air and
I eat fire to rinse my bones
clean of the soot

I have risen from insolvent wing
to remake the dead into eternal things
I have birthed the big bang with the
Friction of my lips

Some of the dead have been named
And shot through the roots
to live on deciduous

We belong inside the belly of this world
Playing tag to wind songs and *******
with naked eyes

I walked by the counter

and noticed the roses,

drained pigment

now pink

and wrinkled

crisp and withered.

I think to myself

why, when ever did that happen?

only yesterday they stood tall and red.

He says "let's go back to my place"
So she follows in strides right behind
Her smile illuminates the path they take
And she feels like she can do anything by his side
She asks "do you love me?"
He nods and grins with malice as he touches her face
His eyes are as dark as his intentions for the night
The still darkness and saten sheets bare witness
To her loss of innocence
Lying in bed regretting her actions
Leaving her feeling empty in her own right
She asks "do you love me more now?"
Her outstretched arm is met by his indifference
He says "please lock the door behind you"
His laughter echoes throughout as she leaves in tears
At least now she knows
He was never worth it

Up a mental creek
With a broken paddle
What good is a life vest
If you're chained
To an anchor

Beauty is fleeting
It's very misleading
Expectations never meeting
Forceful in greeting
Her heart I'm seeking
She says she's needing
Room for her breathing
Made her my everything
But she's always leaving
She just isn't seeing
The friend I'm being
I'm left here bleeding