A spark ignites, so small, so sly,
Born of a glance, a word gone awry.
It leaps to life, a sudden flame,
Feeding on fury, stoked by blame.

A roaring blaze, fierce and wild,
A tempest untamed, untender, unstyled.
It sears through thought, it burns through care,
Consuming reason in its glare.

For a moment, the world is ablaze,
Each breath, each pulse, a molten haze.
Tongues of wrath lick at the soul,
Devouring warmth, devouring whole.

And then—it fades, a cruel retreat,
Leaving silence sharp and bittersweet.
The ashes settle, the embers die,
Cold winds rush where heat did lie.

Empty now, a hollowed shell,
No comfort left, no tale to tell.
Anger spent, it leaves behind
A frigid void, an aching mind.

Oh, fleeting fire, so quick to start,
You scorch the soul, you break the heart.
Yet in your wake, a truth is told:
A flash of fury leaves only cold.

They're all just so sad and broken in their own ways
     And they have flocked to each other because together,
              The suffering feels smaller
                   Not so big
                       Not so daunting
                             And to them,
                                     I'm the deep pool
                                           where they can pour their pain into
                                                And never have to think of the possibility
                                                  Of
                                               a
                                     flood
                                   And
                         I
                 Am
Drowning

When I'm alone, finally independently
Individual
The darkest furthest corners of my mind
The other half of me reaching out
Whispers sweet alluring things, kindly
Gently
Tugging carefully at the strings of my will
Caressing, plucking and eventually
Clipping
The lines to my resistance
The chords of my voice
Allowing the floodgates to fall, collapse and
Surrender
And let me
Myself, the independent
Individual
Take control

I've said these words a thousand times,
I've said these words to a thousand people,
I've lied with these words to a thousand hearts,
And I've killed with these words, a thousand loves.