I close my eyes and images of you flash like pictures in a slideshow
I see you swinging on the swing your great great grandfather made, hanging on for dear life
I see you laying on the bed, paper strewn all around you, your glasses perched low on your nose
I see you in the kitchen, making your "famous" lemonchiffon cake, flour covering your body
I see you sitting in my car, hands tightly clasped on your lap, a single tear rolling down your cheek
I see you standing in the doorway, smiling so bittersweet, placing your secret recipe on our entryway table
I find myself thinking about you all the time, the way you tasted
And every time I see that worn index card on the kitchen counter, I remember the sweetness of our love and the bitterness of when you left
And how I wish I could see you baking that cake just one last time
But for now all I have are my memories
My reverie
Of you

Bending over backwards for someone who doesn't even care
Trying so hard for someone who wouldn't even realize if you weren't there
Never feeling like you're enough
Never feeling appreciated
Never feeling worthy
Doing something nice but it's never done right
Trying your best to keep them safe but all they do is fight
Giving your all and getting nothing back
There doesn't seem to be a point when there's no one there to give you a pat on the back
Say thank you, be grateful
Appreciate the things you do
Why put forth so much effort when no one is putting effort into you?

Despite how it feels right now, everything will be okay.
Even if it's not tomorrow, soon will come a better day.
Your heart may be heavy, your energy may be depleted, but give it a little while.
In no time at all, you'll feel that long-lost smile.
Things do get better.
Your wounds will heal.
And when you back on these times, you'll question if it was even real.

More bad in the news today.
More terror, more death, more violence, more sadness, more panic, more devastation.
Each time we ask "why",
But are we really surprised?
Seeing these things has become such a common occurrence that it seems out of the ordinary to not hear of a new attack, ******, shooting every day.
Why is there no peace?
Why is there no love?
Why do these things happen to innocent people?
What can we do to change it?
The world is rampant with evil, and it seems there is little hope.
But all it takes to grow a garden is a little care and sunlight.
All it takes to bring happiness is a little care and doing what's right.
All it takes to spread love is to open your heart and never stop the fight.
We must continue to try
We must continue to cry
We must continue to be
We can't let them win
We endure and we are strong
We can come together and show the evil ones
That love conquers all
And that it takes more than one, two, three men to knock us down when we're ten feet tall.

My heart aches to mirror the melody of yours as we lay in bed.
My mouth aches to spill out all of the words that I never said.
My hands ache to trace your veins again and again.
My tongue aches to taste the salt that lives in the ocean of your skin.
My eyes ache to absorb all that you are and bask in the smile that rivals the stars.

11/2

"I like you."
(But not enough to love you)
"I want you."
(But not enough to need you)
"I miss you."
(But not enough to show you)