You deserved a long goodbye,
a long and tight hug to force out tears
and maybe un-stifle our hearts.

The words, I love you,
had me in a choke hold.

Two friends,
who hurt
each other
like lovers.

I tried to be an automaton; stolid faced,
but I lost my grace.

I wish now that
I had remembered
to come up for air.
Or remembered,
that it was through open hearts
that we entered each other's lives
so long ago.

Maybe I did not love you at all,
because I didn't try to hold on to you.

Maybe I loved you too much,
& maybe that is why I let you go.

Now I just want to know:
How do you open at the close?

I told him:

"I don't want to see you
see the world,
the way I do".

"I don't want to be a witness, to your heart as it breaks".

I am a soft distillate,
on the edge of a glass;

You are a table
unsurfaced.

I thought,
That the best way to love you,
was to not;

but I did anyways

to long for

to miss

your love  

your deep well

of passion and pain and truth

infinite tenderness

I've used up the speed I used to need
Running hard at walls
All I got was blood and snot
And a boot in the *****
But it's not over
Nothing's done
Oh no
The fight goes on

I've had knock backs from throwbacks
And been ridiculed by imbeciles
Half wits have had their say too
But I will never give in
The fight goes on
On and on
Until I change their minds

                                         By Phil Roberts