The sand between my toes
is gritty
the heavy kind that
sticks to the
crevices and corners
of your heart
--the sands of time—
running quickly into the
bottom of the hourglass

The cup in my hands
is half full
half empty
filled with
the blood
of my beating heart
the water of my fears
the silence of my dreams.

The sickness in my lungs
is unstoppable
--incurable as the
cancer in my conscience
the one that keeps me
coughing
crying

The sand between my toes
is gritty
Harsh enough to scrub
away the sickness
to dry the blood
from my half-cup

And I’ll keep some
on my pinky toe
in the knuckle fold
the dark place where
secrets are kept.
the dark place
where truth
lies

To share someone
else’s
skin
An escape
Oh sir,
It’s my pleasure.
To be wrapped so
completely
you become
like the wind
flowing
gentle
sudden gusts and
Heat
Fire
scratch
at this
shared skin
Stolen moments
sacred
sweet
biting
One.
Tell me
that
this shared
skin
endures

There’s you,
And there’s me.
Heartbreak and hope
Naivety and rationality.

Can I ever rid myself of you?

I will always be naïve.
I will have my heart broken many more times.

But I don’t think it’s fair
That I become the one
Who gets to look stupid.

Ridiculed silently behind cool facades
While stay as you were

—as you always were

And watch me dissolve
Before your eyes
As you pretend
You’re well.

Stand back and admire your handiwork.
I hope you’re proud

Because you’ve broken me in two,
And it hardly took any effort

At all.