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TreadingWater Jan 2018
should. You. Ever.
{come to find}
you _ need _
| some | thing |
toholdonto
/some/one/
<<to hold you tight>>
i-hope-you-remember
@myname
Dani
TreadingWater Sep 2016
sitting #myfloor
AgaiN
nothing new
THaT. song. comes. on.
《I'm《 back &
| locked |
in ~your ~smile
breathing-you-in
such a love[ly]
re\col\lec\tion
soFuLL
& _ so _
sc'at' ' ter' ed ''
<°in °pieces°°>
all at. the. same.
Ti }me{
the ache = a small matter.
play it; a_gain
(let's)

XY
TreadingWater Jul 2016
such a
re>>lease
you. You. U.
[finally]saidthewords
i need
to~ get~ me~
off my
#knees
all this
_ _ time I
| re | fus | ed |
^to ^ see^
     {it's you}
it's/not/me
TreadingWater Dec 2017
i
have. never.
known;
letters//
nouns
the tri,....
                 ck,...
                           le of
words
To Simply Say
whatever-it-is-i-mean
i mean~
You. Are. the pin ch
in my chest
the> pull >>of >each breathe
EvERy
#sadlovesong
& when you
~}{hold my hand}{~
I
Am.
Dani
TreadingWater Jun 2016
O <youknow> the words
sound so simple
~Letting ~you ~~~    go
but; ha¡ there you are¡
In. My. Skin.
& it's a ''knee ''****
a {{back {bend
a hair 》pull
purple bruise
| paper | cut |
where¿doieven¿begin
spl/it/tin/g /cel/l/s
unwish-those-wishes
....to° the° moon°
Unkiss
     Unhold
          Undress
& back a _ gain
you're in [you're in] you're in
left < to < face
the GReater truth:
there is no
                   UnDo > you.
TreadingWater Jan 2018
& so
now~i~know
just _ how _ much
imeantto
you;
what all /of /those
late nights
& hours-on-the
phone
{were};
how you fell
aSLeeP in my
^arms^
& how you
held. my. hand.
[it's nothing]
It. Never.
Was.
TreadingWater Aug 2016
i can't. even. remember.
thelasttime i could
re<mem<<ber
my dreams
¥et
waking 》this morning
{so certain} you had been
here.
i swear i could taste you
on^ my^ lips^
it was how. you. looked.
at. me.
& wh((is((pered that you
had-never-been
kissed
like _ that _ before
andiheldyouthere
& had | your | mouth;
~even ~though
i had. to. wake.
Dear God
it-was-the-most de _ li _cio us
sleep
i've
#known
TreadingWater Oct 2015
I don't think... I.am.s orry are the right.
3. words to choose
They can't retract/remove/retrace the wreck
of all the ones I used
Oh/my/I couldn't help myself; Your voice was a sunrise
your words Neptune

Hearing you,Hearing you...Reading you,...reading
you,...reading you...

There was no other way this could go
...regardless of wisdom
and the light of ageless truths...of distance and time.//you
should know; passionate women are always
going. to. be. so,..
and with reckless abandon...
[the more it doesn't make
A
N
Y
sense] the hyper! incessant! flashing! green!
light! in my head...just blink-blink-blinking
me to keep spilling...the...letters/words/language/said...

{that.should.have.just.stayed.in.my.head}

and so here we are...it WAS the cru{foolish}
elest lie...when I tossed you my banner: I said
I.have.nothing.to.lose.
...so very wrong...I lost it all; and now I
don't
even
have someone to
Cry over Clementine
with.
TreadingWater Mar 2017
on & off
where. does. it. stop.
oh,..how
youknowhowtokissme
,...so _.      slow
&
^^^^^^ in>>>tense
& yet
you
[ insist ]
i'm. not.
what you
#want
even _ as
you
| **** | in your breathe
& gasp your
)>>>release
My tongue; your
Pul - SE;
' ' nails
in my
~ ~ skin.
back/again.
Let{ting} go
,...let me
{in}
TreadingWater May 2016
you like to drop, me, a, few, words,
from time-to-time
justwhenI'monaroll
{432 hours
with\out a thought of you}
as. if. you. knew.
& you'll say how
you miss me //inside you\
wine & words
read _ ing _ a _ loud
you crouched^on^the^step^stool
while i cooked the food  
¡remember¡ how you took
me in that tiny room?
against-those-cool
lemon-tiles-----
jeans/in/a/pile
my hands in your hair
{can't seem to part with those
crumby dish towels}
iwonderifyoudig
how. you. dig. in.
un _ der _ my _ skin
only. to. go. silent;again
& I'M stuck on some °mem°o°ry°
of the >girl >i > once >knew
too blind to [really] see
the PuZZling PieCes of ₩e
TreadingWater Apr 2016
what do i know
fumbling through
some limp aspirations
of still feeling whole

why did you come
and go; I'll never know
the wreck in my chest
can't bare to forget

traded vowels & consonants
rearranged the rhymes
don't know what we found
meanings or consequence

some mirrored articulation
as I lived on your lips
for too few hours
but you fit so nicely around these
knuckles as your breath
filled the room
[and that little whimper is] the most favorite sound I've ever heard
TreadingWater Dec 2015
When you were pack\ing\up
》》Back to New York
I. was. so. ready... to let it go
But-then-you twisted it up
You dug^your^self^in^
,...at the very-last-moment
and SaiD allofthethings
I nev.   er // ev.  en knew;
{I wanted to hear}
so;,... youcalleddibs
And I thought. you. meant. it.
I went-along-for-the-ride
until I >could>not>dream>of>a>time
                   with out
                      YoU
And precisely once/I/told/you/so;
you van.      ish.            ed

You don't gettodecide
if. you. hurt. me; ....darling
that's enTIRE {d}ly
up to....Me
Xy
TreadingWater Mar 2016
some\thing\hap\pen\s;
when I speak _ your _ name....
It'snotquitepleasure
and it's not. quite. pain

your face. those eyes.
those L.  iP.   s.
Stab a primal lo ng __ing....
And 》》speed》》 me to quips

slimfingersandneck;,..Every inch...
how - I - long and #i need
;it's a sc^rat^^ch I mus^t it^^^ch
But you. don't..... ||| concede |||

your voice like gravel
undermyshoe
never sounded s₩€€t€r
our words {{failed}} the truth

me, some~pied~piper~~~
reduced to this sniv. el. ing/idiot/poser
my mel°od°y play°ed to d _eaf ears
left > alone > to > spit >> out >>
......pretentious/....little/.....poems....
TreadingWater Aug 2016
~ wi~n~ding~
     through
the
     desert
just ^after ^^°dawn
nooneontheroad
it's _ cool & it's _ warm
the stillness holds. me.
#funnyhow
i \don't \feel \the \least
bit \lonely
[alone]
mean _ while _ the moon is
uP ^there ^all. day.
__ long.
&idon;'treallynotice;
maybe if you ask
all the lovers
who've 《《come _ &gone.;
"there//there"
(just breathe)
~see~ the
tiny-yellow-grasshopper
has >come >a >long
for
the ride¿
}.gentle reminder.{
all-in-all it's all a crutch
mov》ing 》for》ward 》
is ¡ all ¡ i've
got ¡
&
it's
<eno*ugh
TreadingWater Jul 2016
you tip,...toed,... in
a _ gain
your perfume
just |an |empty
bottle
{i'vekept}
like. words.
so/ man/y syl/la/bles
spent #promises
{wecouldn'tkeep}
so | full |
of the = memories
even. now.
i'd >still >go >there
{withyou}
the °smell °°of °you
sends Me
to Ne₩ ¥ork in Jul¥
& the ¡taste ¡of ¡you
in. my.
hands.
Xy
TreadingWater Oct 2015
...and after they had finished speaking...
tucked soundly in her sacred
bed...it...rained...it poured...the most
delicious sound her ears could hear...it
rained...and, so...christened...she and
she...and what it all could be....
TreadingWater Apr 2016
some sentiment
yousimplycan'ttouch
>>> or sa [Y]
some. thing. in. your. eyes.
held _ in _ a _ stare _<<
begging^me^to^know
only to blink _ it.       A.   w.   a.       y

youtoldmeyourname
{asked me in}
\sang\me\your\song\
& he doesn't give you what you need
yet you're still 》walking 》back》》》

i'll just keep sip _ p _ing
my whiskey
AllTheTimeKnow _ ing
the tingle on <>my <>lips
is yours/////we could
TreadingWater May 2016
i've gotten a
few^ new^ tattoos
sinceyou'veknownmyskin
one for me//
two for you; and
>the >gap >
in my chest
that's. all. yours.
& the words
& the hues
[all the beautiful colors]
that I long to hear
And; there's my love
for the sea/sky/stars
an alliteration of
all _ of _ the _ things i
thought\ that\ i \wanted
& i can't find _ any _ piece
of the peace. I. once. knew.
the time before ev^er^y^thing
myworldbeforeyou
she
TreadingWater Jan 2016
she
Idon'tknow
.....how to stop. it.
O
Ver
Whelm.
.ed
You.
Your words
.....voice.....
So many things to say, to say,...to SaY
You.
Your. Eyes. Separate sentences...
Mouth. and Lips, lips, lips, That should be in my//mouth.
Smile 》》
My. chest. is. Tight
Clinching., l;,....
{silly me\silly me}
...Oh. dear. God. how _ I  _ could _ love you
I know/no/now
therearesomany miles, mountains, days be....tween....
& so
i Walk Alone,....won. der. ing upon
the tortured soul,...
....you seem to be;
holding.
TreadingWater Oct 2015
I.
Tripped/Fell/Crashed/Burned
In-
Love-
With-
You.

Sadly,...
That.
Is
The
End...
Of.
The.
Story.
TreadingWater Nov 2015
How. I. wish.
her....po//ems.S.sssss
Were.
about
m
E
TreadingWater Jul 2016
bu* _ ck _ led t _ i _ es
b £ lurr€d £in€s
WhenYourM __ outh
& your (( hands ((
don't - say - the - same
thing/s dear.
[try to be cl.      ear]
i know >> it's a stra >>>in
when¡ roses¡ have¡ thorns¡
whO    kNOws {what ¿ for}
doesn'thavetomeanathing;
you\do\ and. /you/don't
TreadingWater Oct 2015
I guess I de
Serve it.

Split open my chest
rip out what's left//left//left/right//left...

left to wonder/obsessed

Hanging
~Tangled in the words~

torture

Give me cursing/screams/mock me to
...tears.

But please.dear.god.

the smothering solitude of...

[                                            ]
TreadingWater Feb 2016
...and I th>ou>ght
about. your. hands...;... hands
that hold coffee cups & £ittle hands
andpensandwhiskeybottles
and books... & books & books &then;
I ¡¡wanted¡¡ them...all
                                 [ over. ]
                                           me ...
#in _ side me...
I want
t _ h _ e _ m _ ....
TreadingWater Jun 2016
wide 》a》wake
as the mental musings
of howquicklymyfeetcould
take me any _ where _  you _  are
& no. thing. else. matters
~ there ~is the
{hope}less truth
who¿ is ever going to
to kiss me that//way
       .again.
TreadingWater Feb 2016
how I'm ch
                    ock
                            ing. on. it.

her beauty leaves me

         b _  a _  r __  e

<<<<<<suffocated>>>>>>>>>

f ^ igh^  ting for some. will.  to....

          in~~~~~hale
TreadingWater Jan 2016
don't get me wrong//it's nice to be wanted
and you are so. much. prettier. than. most.
but i'm onlyhalflistening, l ov e
my chest is chain》ed》 to 》a 》ghost

my mind knows-so-much-better
         {i'm so lucky to have you}
your hands know how to hold me
         {your lips know all the songs}
but i when i'm looking in your {brown}eyes;
it's only g.r.e.e.n.         that i see

and i-swear-if-i-knew-how-to-fight-it
i'd go ****** //i'd go black and blue
if o n l y.   I  could sh^a^ke^ her
{if i could un _ . think all the words}
i'd give all i have just to savor

i long to taste anything
....that i didn't com》pare to her lips
my God howhermouthhaunts
{i can't think ₩ithout her voice^in^my^head}
i'm helpless and unworthy-of-all-your-wants

you. are. so. lovely.
in so {allofthe} many ways
i have enjoyed our mo^ment^s
{i have hoped these feelings would
....leave me}
how i have kept you;... on. the. fence.

and now; it'sonlyfair to s/ev//er
despite how good; i-should-let-you-go
it's a  @selfish@ way of living
{letting you love me so}
When i'm Not ReaLLy Giving

in these moments you'll hate me
{onceyouknowallofthetruth}
think of me in spiteful ways
you'll want to _ keep _ trying
you'll be con\vinc\ed it can be °changed

beaUtiful one: YoU de _ serve MORe
theressomethingaboutthegirl i can't name
maybe I'm just addicted-to-wanting
Or may》be i'm not ready to be save---d
TreadingWater Feb 2016
i seem to
have-so-much-to-say
to
you
i want you
to know/the/whole/story
    the rest
justdoesn'tmatter
how did it ever
...come to this...¿
i've always been so
...comfortable...
in. my. own. shadow.
TreadingWater May 2016
fli》ck》》ed to the ground
smash me down
not\be. fore\ you\ set
my skin on fire
how _  i _ burn _  for _  you
suckmein
sweet s[ed]uction
ling^er^ in your mou^^th
{your breath
my desire}
if only// i were a nasty habit
¥ou €ould. not. break.
itwouldbeenough
to stick; around
TreadingWater Dec 2015
we didn't talk. of. the. weather.
except to concede
its power over sub//lime sleep
Our hushed
Whispers
of what
Set
our
Skin
on
f...^^i...^r..^^e
,,...the wet
longing
in the the pages of
a French harlot
,... the empty spaces left
When love
Is 》》》 gone
& how kissing
Should be done only
by,...°°hours°°...
How melodies
can leave us n.a.k.e.d
& time and space
are tiny matters
when the stars aro{we}und collide

no,...we didn't speak of
^little^things^
We lost our hours in
ThE WoRdS
and it's the teary
re// col// lec// tion of this
That has me typing
At 3 AM
..._again
TreadingWater Oct 2015
Slipping do
W
n
The rabbit hole...
Thoughts and wants and thoughts and
wants...
spinning,...gloriously spinning
Can't wipe this...
Smile...off my face just thinking your...name
And your words and your...voice...the
sounds of you...
......burrowed inside of me
And it's Last thoughts and First thoughts and
First and Last, last and first...and waking to
the wet wanting of
your skin all over me...
TreadingWater Jun 2016
the image of you
{owns my eyes}
play//rewind》replay
one _ thousand _ times
a [captured] moment
you. laying. there.
Sssssidewaysssss on the mattress
the ~ cur~ve ~ of your ~hips~

dip of your sp.    ne
                           i
a>>>rms>>>
wrapped around
head on my chest
mybreathyourbreathmybreath
[how you] buried¡ yourself¡ inside¡
& i ' am ' stuck ' there,'  / my dear
soblissfully
| con | tent |
time •○ stopped•○
thispicture.   pre _ sides
TreadingWater Aug 2016
fingernails
trace,... my》 bones
morn°ing° coffee°°
& wine soaked
good{nights}
all~ in~ all
she should. be. what. i. want.
- so-who-knows -
what ¿season
could ever be¿
enough¿
^there's ^^no^^
《taking 《it 《back
you;strawberry
}moon} }
days2short
& lo _ _ ng _ _  es _ _t
nights. e\clip\se the
bl ack
tattooofyou
<can't << e <<< rase
skinonskinonskin
[however vague]
my highs//
my lows
TreadingWater May 2017
you. don't. get. to.
choose {really}
it's-just -some-melt;
you don't
ex _  pect
the ~ way ~ her ~lips
>move
anytime; she says your
name°
[just a hint of a lisp]
\ she leaves you \
@stalled:..........
& there   ^you    ^are
     sm i *ling
Dani
TreadingWater May 2016
icantfindthequiet.
even when
it's just the t/a/p/p/ing
of the blinds
& the hummmm mmmm of the fan
there is no {peace}
#peaceful
as _ the _ air _ moves _ across
my body
E. very. cell.
wishesitwere
YoU
TreadingWater Feb 2016
it doesn't happen. So. often.
waking with the tears° in° my° eyes°
ive gone 23 days withoutathoughtofyou
Ok...ma _ y _ be a few
the tears flow none/the/less
so//i supppse//i'm still st. U. ck I; guess

I think//I think//Toooooo MuCH

keep {shuf{flin{ggg through
it'snotevenreallyaboutyou
~ who/who,.. I barely even knew
it's the 》flight》 you found and how the ^hope^ you planted healedthesore
...oh hell; I-don't-really-know-anymore
your words s. e. E. p. Ed in&p;  _ ulled the trigger; on a belief of what was pos/si/ble;
a ch _ ance #something bigger,...

,... Ididn'tevenknowthat I needed

It's a bitter bite that now lives. in. my. chest.
having caught-a-glimpse-at-what-was-best
...in me,..in you... in po\ten\tial\...in truth
,...but then, a>>>>>gain...
That's _ what _ poets _ do _
& the ~poet ~ is ~ you
you own. ed. me with. words.
Idon'tknowifi'llever ,...,...recover
TreadingWater Dec 2015
can't u<n<d<o what's been done
the gap that once- held- a- heart
is bound to a girl
who. wants. no. part.

in the lov\ing and long\ing
that tears me A. p.   a.    r. T.
cause the mind^might^know^better
but there's-no-convincing the heart

De》spite what's better for me
... to be loved and HeldSoClose
how do I [shadow. ]]]]]]  the memory
of what I wanted,... most ¿

Oh, the irony; how I never
really had. her. at. All
still;,.... left alone spinning
I'm left alone //stalled//

this hopeless ro°man°tic°
keeps playing a game I. can't. win.
time can't e《《《rase her beauty;
OR how she seeped in

It's like beating>my> head>>
against the same spite||ful wall
...but giving-up-is-just-giving-in
By God, the re■so■lute should... win

I couldn't make her keep me
been-on-my-knees for_so _long
~    And now. I. see. the
                the writing on the wall ~~~~
It's the same for you now,...as you/want/me
to love you// you want me to fall

& isn't that such a...s  h  a  m  e
why does it have to be\ that\ way¿
So much loving, and, passion, and, good,
        tossed》 to》the 》winds;

...  lostinthe  ...  would/ should...{if only I}
... Could
TreadingWater Dec 2015
how the ache
seeps in...
it's gradual...assault
of senses/and/reason
of rational...
thought

consuming and maddening
Each breath some
...l e n g t h y ...chore
I'd pray
for some mercy
...but I'mnotsure
whatfor..

If it meant I'd
{ ^^forget^^} her
...lost; our tan!ger!ine!
kiss
Only vague recollec_tions
...Never knowing...
all...that I'll... miss

Than I'd rather
live r/a/g/g/e/d
I'll skip... moving...
...on...on...on...
There's a hue
her.mouth.granted
Despite the raw
of hergone

no,...I don't really want it,...
although,..
Mercy; might
let me...sleep
being locked
/in/our/moments/
istheonlypartofher
I
Can
KeeP
TreadingWater Nov 2015
left to
t ₩ist
with(in)your
//    silence    //
i can't be
con~vinc~ed
of whether it is a
reflection<>noitcelfer
of words/mouth/touch
.striking.too.close.
or-your-need
for my
acquiescence
to
LeT
it
...go
TreadingWater May 2017
how ¥ou would
take/my/arm/
wheneverwewalked
i went along; ten-feet-tall
@thatundergroundbar
} our place on the couch {
& so. many. whispers.
& kisses.
& thoughts.
oh/who would-have-thought¿
it would >come >to >this.
all that we were[n't]
is _ all _ that _  i  _ want.
can't ^find ^the ^will
to. Just. move,..》   on.
TreadingWater Jun 2016
how you like to tie me up
in knots
{{not the way i want}}
you hold my hand
you hold the cards
& then you shut it off
you play it down
[if only you had kept your mouth]
[if only i hadn't had you]
on my tongue
your hands in my hair
i wouldn't care
i could shrug it off
but you dig in those nails
{{while i make you fl _o _ at}}
& it's not enough
your ups and downs
i can't keep up
i'm torn apart
TreadingWater Aug 2016
how i wish you
would{n't} call
your voice
》shoves 》me 《back《
livingroom\ _waltzes\ _ _
[ed> ray > amos]
~singing ~our ~songs
Tuesday ○pancakes○
&you;
inthosetiiiiIiiiinyshorts
Sundays _ trippin' _ in _ the _ sand
waves&clouds;
snuggledupintowels
cho/k/ing°°
on° laughs° as
umbrellas wisSsk byyyyyyyyyyy
all. that. slow. lovin.
<inourcozysheets>
& your breath [onme] was
all. i. could. ever.
need.
it | was | just |
a moment ago
i swear;
when-you-call
[mydarlingsweetestlove]
it's {no} hellllllll - p
At. All.
Xy
TreadingWater Dec 2016
shift & press
lungs/chest
all-your-words
whattheymeant
hum & scream
you/me
in-my-head
inmydreams
far & between
focus/see
what-is-left
holdmybreath
push & pins
loss/sin
when-standing-still
lossofwill
TreadingWater Dec 2015
My legs are growing  ~weary~
walking with these boulders.on.my.chest,...
have to focus on each ^bre{inoutinout}ath^
while I'm spinning to ¤de¤ci¤pher,...
be\tween the right/and\wrong
....and the [s p a c e ] in be-tween,...

I know I fell for you,...but that's no reason
to》hold》 it 》against me,...
even when I held 《you《against 《me,...
it was always the words...
and the s/h/a/r/i/n/g that matter most,...and I just...
wAnt...thAt...AgAin,...

Let's <carve> out a space that is... just//ours
... to share,...
it doesn't have to be what anyone...
... e.x.p.e.c.t.s,...
But the gap_ that's been
>>>left>>>>>>
... by the words-and-wants-we-shared
is a vastness that's haunting,...

...it just feels so... ₩rong...

& i don't want to be heavy
but I'm on.my.knees.now,..
for some words//letters//sounds,...
to make ~sense~ of the beauty
we,...just,... left,....
,
......ontheground
TreadingWater May 2016
I  _ try _ hard
tohidethe scar
you. made. quite. an. impression.
couldn't you have
JuST p》un》ch》ed
all the way ¿through¿
Even a Ga>__<pping Hole
would be  #better
than the gravel that
Still. Remembers.
being ₩hole
TreadingWater Mar 2018
¿₩hat kind of
answer is
that¿
save it {for}
laundry
& washing your
car.
i carry comets
in-my-pockets
& #lightening
on my LiPs.
go> back> to> your
sleepy ex _ is _ tence
i'llbeoverhere
being. IN. it.
TreadingWater Aug 2016
fun//ny how
hazel
made. me. forget.
i HaTe Vegas
just like; auburn
canmakeme
visit _ the _ mall
&thos;; sliver limbs
&dim;;° waist°
}my} hands} fit
perfectly'round
can >make >it >all
make. sense.
all | those | things | i
#neverwanted
&presssedagainstherhip;
just >for>get >a>bout
anything i. thought.
might; matter.
&wh;; cares¿
[let'sbehonest]
what's-so-great
about~wants~anyway¿
& 'when 'she ''trace'''s
the veins >in >my >arms
with her del _i _cate
fingers
just 》go 》ahead
ask. the. cream.
¿if she cares for honey¿
TreadingWater Mar 2016
t t t tttap the clever
W O R D S;,...
they just
           w _ a _ _ i _ _ _ t  there

some//thing
i can't press in my palms
tugs. at. my. skull.
twistsupmyspine

it doesn't feel good
this\trying\to\feel\  a  n  y  thing
then _ there's
bodies; I need

it's just a {mirage}
to  >linger  >upon
so intricate in e^ver^y^de^tail
evenyoucannot  #see
TreadingWater Aug 2016
¿what's it about '...,,
idontknowtheletters;
i _ dont _ know _ your _ :"code
maybe
you
get _ off 》》
knowing\know\known
how. Much. i. want. you.
you have; yourself
&whateveryou;
meant.
all >of> the >someones
who _ you've _ met;
noquestionsasked
no. second. thoughts.
you make {the love}
you-take-it-all,...
only^to^say
    you _ can't _ ;
&you; won't
TreadingWater Oct 2015
I don't even know what.I. want.
...but there is such...beauty
In the longing
...you taught me
That.
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