I always thought we were the perfect match.
But matches are meant
                                   to ignite
                                         and burn out.

.
                                                                 ­                                            w
                   ­                                                                 ­                        i
                                                              ­                                          n 
                    ­                                                                 ­               g
                                                ­                                                 e    
                                                                ­                              d
                                 ­             w                                         m
        ­                                       a                                      e                         ­  
                                                n             ­                    s   
                                        ­        d                             s                     
    ­                                             e                a  ­     e         
                          a                      r            l      n   o                                 
                              ­  l                  i        o    g  v                                                                                     i            n   n   e e                        r         
                                           v      g e r                i                                          
       y  o  u  s  e  e  m  t  o  b  e ☼ a  n  d  u  n  d  e  r  t  h  e s  t  a  r  s...
     i  n  s  p   i   r   e    d     c     o l t
                          a          n         n    ii       o
              m               a               t       f  f             t
                            d                  h         t   e                  h
                                                e            t ­                             e
                                  ­             n               h                                   s
                                              i          ­        e                                           k 
          ­                                   g                    m                                           ­   y
                                            h               ­        e                                        
                                            t                   ­        l                                            
                                                                ­         o
                                                               ­            d
                                                               ­              y
                                                               ­                o
                                                              ­                   f

flatten your tongue
slip it between your teeth

n.

your little lips
forming an elipsis

o.

put them together
and may you declare
a word you’d so carefully deny—
no.

you spell it out
on table tops
shout it
from the rooftops

and when cursed hands
seek to defile your shrine
may you exclaim
"i am mine"