The church pews were decorated with flowers
The aisles lined in petals
The bridesmaids all in blue
The groomsmen all in suites
The attendants sat with happy smiles
As the music started playing
The groom started crying
As his wife-to-be walked down the aisle
Escorted by her father
The bride was the cynosure of all eyes
And so they made
An unbreakable vow
And began their life together

A conflation of personalities
Two merged into one
In a single being
Who are you?
I don’t know
How do you feel?
I’m not sure
There’s war
Inside my head
I want everything
And nothing
All at once
There’s so much going on
A war inside my mind
I don’t who I am
I don’t know how I feel
All I know is I want
This confusion
To end

He’s a comely young man
Blonde hair and blue eyes
With enginuitive talent
And an intellectual mind

She was a lovely young lady
With dark hair and green eyes
With musical talent
And an artistic mind

He was raised rather high class
With a gentleman umbriging
He was told he owned the world
And he grew up believing it

She grew up being told
You had to work for what you had
She was taught to fight for her rights
And she was a stubborn heart

He always carried the mantra
“Speak softly and carry a big stick”
Silent and polite
He had the poise of a prince

Her thoughts were louder
She was more likely to yell and use the big stick
She was a wilder spirit
Who kind of lacked grace

But the two opposite
Polar personalities
Did have a large similarity
They loved each other

No one know exactly
How this love came to be
As it was very unexpected
For them to even get along

But I have never known a greater love
As the one shared by those two
For this affection was one
That saw past even the greatest differences

He was an older man
Of about forty five years
He had a wife and children
And his very own home

One day, abruptly
A phone call came in
From the hospital  of the town
He had grown up in

His father, a man
Late in his years
Had just passed away
And so started the tears

Now, his father was one
For whom he had utmost respect
For his father raised him alone
Since the day he was born

The next few weeks
Were a blur to the man
For he had just lost his hero
It was a sudden slam

The man was back
At his childhood home
After the funeral
He sat in his old room

He was looking through a few
Of his old playthings
When he picked up a box
He heard rattle around

Inside he saw
His old collection of marbles
Oxbloods and oilies
Lutz, aggies, and clambroths

He noticed a piece of paper
Under his favorite marble
A chatoyant thumper
His father had given him as a starter

He unfolded the paper
And he was surprised to see
His father's handwriting
He began to read

“Son, I know that you're reading this
It means I’m probably gone
But one thing I want you to know
Is that you’ll never be alone

I remember the day that your mother left
You had just been born
I swore that very day you’d never miss her
I’d be your dad, your mom, and more

As I watched you grow
Into the man you are
I couldn’t be prouder
Of who you’ve become

I’ll love you more than you’ll ever know
I’m proud to call you my son
Be the husband and father I know you can be
Because I know you’re a **** good one

I know you’re probably heartbroken
But don’t be sad for too long
Because I’ll forever watch over you
Goodbye, son, please stay strong”

The man had tears in his eyes
When his little girl walked him
She looked at him with big brown eyes
And asked her daddy what’s wrong

He shook his head and said nothing
While picking his princess up
He carried her and his marbles downstairs
A sad, hopeful smile stuck on his lips

The lovers sat on the couch
Of their lovely little bungalow
As they snuggled up together
They listened to the rainfall
And the steady rhythm
Of each others heartbeat
Inside their home
They felt safe
As if in their own little world
Together tucked away
In their little slice of heaven
Together
Never to be separated

It was a bucolic setting
With friendly neighbors
And well kept gardens
With well manicured lawns
There were very tiny schools
And a tinier church
Both with white walls
And well behaved children
It was such a quaint place
A peaceful little town
Where nothing really happened
So what a surprise it came
To the other townspeople
When they heard the nice little choir girl
The one everyone knew and loved
Had killed herself

I know this one boy
He has shaggy dark hair
And dark eyes
That seem so full of emotion
Yet empty all the same

I’ve never talked to him
I don’t think anyone has
He keeps to himself
But he does write quite a lot
In this old leather journal
He always carries around

He always wears skinny jeans
And lots of band-tees
But for some reason
He always wears sleeves
He’s got a lip piercing
And a few tattoos

Once, I had a terrible day
So I decided to skip class
I instead went snuck upstairs to the roof
I didn’t expect to see anyone there
But someone’s back was facing me

It was the boy I never talked to
He was writing in his journal
Scribbling furiously, pen in hand
I guess he also came here to brood
He just had that look

I went up behind him and said his name
He had earphones in with music playing loud
I knew the song, it was from my favorite band
Vices by Memphis May Fire

I tapped his shoulder and he jumped
He looked back at me in surprise
I asked if he was ok

He shrugged
He looked up at me with sad eyes
I sat next to him, shoulder to shoulder
And asked him what’s wrong

His dad yells at him
And tells him terrible things
His older brother always beats him up
And his big sister killed herself
His mom just doesn’t care
She’s never really home
His depression just keeps getting worse
He can barely get out of bed
Anxiety is eating him alive
And he’s trying, though failing, to stop his self harm

He started crying in the middle of his story
So I held him as he whimpered
And told him mine
We never talked to each other before in our life’s
We never had an exchange of words
But now as we sat together on the roof
I never felt closer to anyone

After a while, he seemed to calm down
I pulled up his sleeve and traced his scars
He looked down, he seemed kind of ashamed
I lifted up his chin and rolled up my sleeve
And showed him we had matching battle scars

He looked up at me with teary eyes
I told him about hope
And how things would get better
I told him if he could hold on
For just a few more years
He could get away from those who hurt him
And out of this **** town

I held his hand in mine
And looked him in the eye
I told I would be there
Every step of the way
And that if he would hold on
I would hold on with him

He nodded his head yes
He promised he would fight
He promised he would stay alive
If I would stay with him
Of course I said of course
We would make it through together
And so I became best friends with
The brooding boy on the roof