She
is
fresh air,
and I
had
forgotten I
had not been
breathing well.

She
breathes the sunset
back into
me
and suddenly
things are vivid once again

She
is the cold
when the sun
and I
have fought until the night.

I
never thought
that one person could
make the stars seem trivial,
but now I know,
even the stars
wonder about
her.

You
aren't       you
      when             you're


sober

Her virginity
Was a flower
You plucked her girlhood
And put it in a vase
By her bed

Reminded her
a woman's role was to love
Support the growth
of the flower
that you picked

Made sure
that she'd water it
But wouldn't dare
to do it yourself

Dug the lily
from dirt with two
fingers

Because
of its beauty
But what about
how it grows?

it shouldn't be,
but love is all about
toleration.

He
Plays with my hair
He
Plays with the fire
Of my soul
He
Asks me to kiss his burns
He
Continues to reach
Into my soul

I just keep saying to breathe
And I'm not sure of who
I'm telling it to anymore

I keep telling them to breathe
Breathe because you're falling apart
Breathe so you can't quit.

Please don't quit on me
This is why I can't breathe
Don't quit on me

I can't quit breathing
Because if I do
I'll be losing the only thing I've ever done steadily

Manhood stood
In the shoes of a man
Who loved me when you didn't have the courage to.

When he swallowed glue and patched up the cracks in the dam that held my
Tears back when you let the rivers flow.

Feelings don't drown easy for foreigners, he knows that. Being an immigrant to being a father you should have understood that when you stole the love I had for you and left.

He paid for my sadness and didn't even flinch when I mentioned the taxes on me, all the baggage I had to bring. He paid off the debt you left to me and put the extra carry ons in the closet.

The title belongs to the man who didn't have to ask for it. Who didn't beg me for forgiveness but made up for it by not betraying my loyalty.

King is the man who loves everything he was given and soldier is the man who defends it. Father is the man who was proud enough that when I fell kneeled next to me.

Manhood stood in the shoes of a man who earned the love of someone who doesn't easily give it.