Take it away
This living, breathing
Alien in my chest
It is not home
Does not belong
Just cut me open
And pull it out

I feel it
Growing
Stretching and clawing
At the walls
Of its prison
Trapped
Just the same
As me

I can’t get away
Lock the doors
Close my eyes
Cover my ears
Hiding from phantoms
But the danger lurks
Within

My love stirs my hatred
I want but can’t have
Desires, once bright
Possible
Attainable
Now become
Forbidden

The door slams
The bar is drawn
Locking me out
Or maybe
Locking me
In
This misery
Of my own
Creation

Will you trust me with your heart as I trust you with mine if
I promise. . .
to be your strength when you are weak
and your voice when you can't find the
words to speak and if
I promise. . .
to give you faith
when you are insecure and if
I promise. . .
to listen to you
when you need to talk and if
I promise. . .
to always hold you
when you need to be held and if
I promise. . .
to be your smile
when you are frowning and if
I promise., . .
to always tell you what is real
when you want to hear the truth and if
I promise. . .
to be your dream catcher
to chase away you're every fear and if
I promise. . .
to tell you no lies
but just what is true and if
I promise. . .  
I will try to lift you up
when you are feeling down and if
I promise . . .
to be your strength
when ever you are falling down and if
I promise. . .
to never hurt you
or break your heart and
you know that
I can't promise you the world and I can't promise you the sky or promise you that we will never fight or that you will never cry but I can promise you that I will always be true till the end of time, so will you trust me with your heart as I trust you with mine knowing that our success won't just happen by default but can and it will happen by design.                                                          ­                Jon York   2018

She quivered to the touch of my rough hand dancing across her supple skin
her lustful stare unflinching. I delighted on the subtle taste of strawberries on her lips. Her hands wrapped around me pulling me in close as close as one person could get to another. I learned every curve of her and she learned every curve of me. Now we lay in each others embrace quietly letting the night wash over us.

they say to be in love
you must first love yourself
as for me I disagree
because I have met body upon body
that I've fallen in love with
just by looking in to their eyes
while somehow hating mine
waging war upon myself
all while finding refugee and comfort
in a body, in any body or anybody
who smiled in my direction
who held the door open
who said, 'i'm worried about you' or
'text me when you get home safely' or
'well you were asking for it'.

and isn't love beautiful?
the way it creeps up your spine
tickles the back of your neck
curls around and tightens so slowly
that you don't realize the suffocation
until you're already blue in the face?
using your first gasping breath to declare
how romantic it was to be so close to it

love can be found anywhere
like a dim light in the darkest room or
the  haunting face of danger in those nightmares
that have plagued you since you were sixteen
when you had your heart broken
for the first time and you cried
but then the second, the third
you learned to smile

mistaking the scar tissue for satisfaction
for justification of your hurt
'well at least i could say i tried'
and god knows you tried
to fill that aching, hollow chest of need
with words synonymous with love
in the dictionary of your excuses
re-arranged to make anything
fit the definition of everything
that 4 letter word should be
just so you can convince yourself
battle with your own beating chest
was never in vain.

-- they do not love you.

I’d travel for miles,
You might wait around.
I’d lay down my life,
You might watch me drown.
I’d bare my soul and open my chest.
You’d most likely laugh or smile, at best.
I’d be there in an instant,
You might show up late.
I’d place you first,
You might save the date.
I’d give you the stars and all that comes with.
You’ve been promised before so you won’t hold your breath.
Who ruined you?
Why can’t you show love?
Why do I try when
I’m never enough.
I’d be loyal to you and I’d never stray,
So why can’t you just meet me halfway.