a life told in
text messages

swallowed up
by distance and time

never
to see
the sun

i'm very afraid
of death

and i don't
particularly
want to drown

but when you look at me
with those eyes...

perhaps i can make
an exception.

moonlit streets
and empty promises
falling from
broken bottles
and cigarette smoke

eyes that are
rimmed with
too many
sleepless nights
close

as the lips below
share the smoke
that brought them
here

not caring
who will be blamed
in the morning

i decided
not to write
a poem
on mother's day

maybe next year

i felt
okay.

and you cannot take that
from me anymore.

i had a good
day.

and that wasn't dictated
by anything of yours.