The memory of you fades away-
Like a sunset, slowly at first,
Then all at once.
Now I see the stars.

You'll need a backpack to
Carry your doubts and fears.
You need them, but don't be
Afraid to lighten the load if they
Start to weigh you down.
You'll need to lace your hair with
Hope like a ribbon and
Never let it fray.
You'll need to pin a compass to your shirt
So you will never forget to follow
Your North and no one else's.
You'll need to hold a seed in your hand
So you'll always remember your roots.
And wear a crown of flowers
To bring peace to your ravenous mind.
You'll need steel-toed boots for your travels
Because God knows the road ahead is long and rocky.
You'll need band aids for when you trip,
But not to worry, dear,
It happens to the very best of us.

And if you ever get scared
Remember the flashlight in your pocket
And it will light your way.

I was raised with one hand
firmly gripping my neck.
Not enough to choke,
but just enough to scare.
One wrong move and
He could snap my neck.
One split second of insubordination-
And death.
He occasionally squeezed too hard-
blamed it on his stress.
Gasping for air is the only
Memory I have of him.

No abuse to report,
No marks or scars except the ones on my heart.
I cried alone at night so
No one could hear.
I smiled through the pain
and hid every tear.
Threats were daily and
Love disappeared.
The child I was,
No longer appeared.

Each year I grew older,
His grip would tighten.
Shackling me to his commands and
Endless profanities.
I was told to toughen up,
But my heart was wilder than he could tame.

Shorter breaths and more tears-
Years and years of silence.
Waiting for the perfect time
To stand up and say,
"Good riddance"

Every day it gets closer now,

To the day I'll break his hands.

From what I've seen of love,
I believe it doesn't last.
There's no such thing as fairytales
And happy endings never stood a chance.
Broken hearts paint a ****** trail
Of fear, regret, and pain.
All the hope, all the tears-
Every effort was in vain.
She'll never get him back,
And he'll never find a love like her.
We are imperfect people,
In a loveless world.

It is a known fact that:
Humans are born with two fears,
The fear of falling
And the fear of loud noises.

The fear of falling in love
And the fear of saying "I love you"

I want to escape to an uncharted star
And be held by his Galileo eyes,
Unravel his smile and learn the secrets between his dimples,
Like the spaces within Orion’s Belt.
I want to witness the aurora of color:
The atmosphere changes when he laughs with me.
I want to sail into space -
The space where his eyebrows furrow -
And ease all his cosmic pains.
I want to use my telescope to locate his greatest dreams and
Become an astronomer just to help them become reality.
I want to observe the meteor shower in my heart
When his hands close around mine.
Capture the silence of his parted lips,
When he lies next to me under the darkening sky,
Notice all the beauty that whispers to me.
I want to orbit his soul
And hope it carries me somewhere warm -
Because I cannot stop this force,
This gravity
That holds my astronaut heart to his.

I asked her if I could find Love,
By holding her in my hands.
She shyly whispered yes
And I nestled her glowing beams
Into my faded denim pocket.
I wanted to carry her-
Hold her-
Love her-
Like she has done for me.

I prayed to her every night,
Wishing to find the secrets
That only her craters knew.
I begged every morning for her seas
To teach me the meaning of love.
But day by day,
I noticed her enticing light fading,
Her small smile slowly relaxing
Into a sad cupid’s bow.

I asked the moon if there was anything
I could do to make her feel love again.
She told me how she longed,
To settle once again above the sea
Where the stars would stop by for a cup of tea,
And the sun would laugh with her sometimes
During a game of hide and seek.

So I took her to the nearest ocean
And I asked if she was happy.
She looked away and told me
She wanted to return home.
I sighed, knowing that the moon was needed,
By other people and not just me.
But the moon had yet to teach me of love.

I realized though,
As soon as she returned
To the familiar river of stars,
That she had, indeed, taught me of love.
Love is unselfish and
Love is knowing when to let someone go
So their true happiness
Can be achieved.

Love is like the moon-
Shining on everyone
With every ounce of passion
Her body can muster,
To simply see a smile
On a fellow wanderer’s face.