falling in love
is a lot like dying slow
you won't realize it until you're ten feet underground

falling in love
is like going to see the sunset
but realizing the sunset lasts only 30 minutes in a day

falling in love
is like going up to the ice cream truck
after chasing it for blocks
and realizing they don't have your favorite flavor

falling in love
is like showing her off
to all your friends like you're back in school
and today's event is show-and-tell

falling in love
is like taking your first puff,
coughing it out
and revisiting it years later
like it never once left your body

falling in love
is seeing role models turn into humans,
and humans into role models.

falling in love
is like witnessing your first car crash
i guess it wasn't as exciting as it felt on tv.

falling in love
is going to your childhood park,
and realizing people never really go to parks anymore.

falling in love is remembering that kid who moved in grade three
who said they'd stay in touch,
but never heard from again.

falling in love is seeing that kid 10 years later
and dreaming of the next 10 years together

falling in love
is seeing them as a reflection of yourself
sprawled over the bed,
and wondering to yourself "****, what more could i ask?"

falling in love
is screaming PLEASE I WANT THIS TO LAST

LOVE
is seeing them hunched on a hospital bed,
hearing them say
"what life have we led?"

falling in love
is visiting their grave,
hearts broken and sore,
realizing

i don't want to fall in love
anymore

Today I learned that
humans are 99.9% genetically identical to one another.
That's an awful lot isn't it?

So please forgive me for having these mud-colored eyes of mine.  
For I know you cant compare them to something beautiful
like the fresh waters off the coast of Venice
Or to the first leaf of spring exposed after the final layer of ice thawed off.

Please forgive me for having this unruly curly hair
which you can never run your fingers through unless
you are okay with the amount of time it takes to untangle your fingers
from the mess I carry upon my shoulders.

Please forgive me for not having English be the first language to roll off my tongue.
I know I pay the cost when I cannot find the right words to express
how deeply I am in love with everything that is you.

But darling, if you must know one thing, know this:

Every cell in my body craves to show you
how infatuated I am with you.
This heart beats so loudly whenever you are near
it's a wonder it hasn't broken the ribs which enclose it.  
My fickle brain goes back and forth between
wanting you and needing you.
But there is no need to worry, my love.
I always manage to steer it in the right direction.

And because of all this,
I will never fear the day when you will no longer love me
because if everything within my skin loves you this deeply,
I know everything you carry inside feels the same way
because
today I learned that
humans are 99.9% genetically identical to one another.
That's an awful lot isn't it?

The worst thing that can happen in a long distance relationship is when you stop receiving texts without a warning.  You immediately notice but try to play it off.  You start telling yourself excuses like "maybe they're busy" or "they're just having a bad day".  
But that day turns into a week;
one week turns into two;
two turns into three...

You finally ask them what's going on.  You see your phone go off but you're too scared to read their reply. Six minutes later, you finally read it:
"I'm trying to use my phone less"
Normally, you wouldn't think too much of it.
But then you realize
The only way you can communicate is by phone...

You and the leaves
Have many things in common.

You, like the leaves,
Were the oxygen in my world.

You, like the leaves,
Were once an innocent green.

You, like the leaves,
Turned vibrant colors as you died.

You, like the leaves,
Let go of the tree.

You, like the leaves,
Left me forever in the fall.

You and the leaves
Have many things in common.

I remember after the first time you kissed me you said that you had been wanting to do that for a while.

I wonder if you thought the same thing when you left me.