My temple is now tainted
With pretty white roses and a new fragrance
Don’t worry dear,
It will be gone soon

Isn’t it funny how black and white it was?
And now with the sunrise comes gray foggy mornings
Holding your breath as you hold in your stories
And immediately let them spill out

Suppose it were a key to the new you
Or I am just finally free of myself?
You still miss the white roses
But you won’t say that anymore

Darkened grime has not spread across my body
Soot-covered fingerprints have not traced the lines in my skin
Poisonous words have not crawled into my veins
My brain has yet to be compromised by this chemical cocktail

Untouched
Is my soul’s home
She is reserved with brick walls and number codes
She sends a warning with guard dogs tall and strong
But behind the closed iron doors
Is her white room

Scared to spill
But wanting to throw paint after taking off plastic covers
Wanting to ruin
But not wanting the hurt
Wanting the touch
But not the pain
And yet
A masterpiece could be waiting

Untouched
Yes, I am untouched
Museum-grade red ropes
Look, don’t come close
And, at this rate,
I don’t know when I’ll be ready
To let go

dear love,
it seems not too sudden that i am writing you this dedication
for years and years have passed and i’ve ignored my feelings for you
they blossomed and grew into beautiful lilies too late

it took time to learn to love you
every imperfection that i focused too closely on
the way your voice sounds on tape
your ****** structure
not the preferred body of a teenage dream

but wait i come bearing gifts
i have learned to love these things
stumbled upon hidden gifts under the christmas tree
my name was marked on every one
so here you go
finally here you go

17 years is a long time to wait
and so with this public declaration of love i also publicly, selfishly, apologize
love, it was never your fault that i couldn’t grasp self-care
it was the absence of acceptance
i didn’t want to cherish you
but i do

never will i look back at pictures and regret what you are
i will be proud of where you’ve come
this is so much more than being self-absorbed,
i just wish everyone could be

so love, here’s your love poem
the one you never thought you’d get or deserve
with open arms i welcome you
love, the person you’ve become

Los días aquí
Pasan muy rápidamente
Y yo no sé
Si este es bien o mal

Por ejemplo
Siento triste todos los días
Pero los emociones van
Como la gente en la acera

Sin embargo
Emociones de felicidades
También salen
Muy similar
O no les aparecen enteramente

Losing you hurts
Muscle aches
Tongue dried
Eyes puffy
Your touch no longer reserved for me

I miss you so much
I miss the smell of your body on mine
The way your eyes hold a whole universe
Your captivating kiss
And your squeeze so special
The way your voice carries a tune
An accent so sweet like iced tea

But our chapter was cut off too soon
By mismatched pages
And it feels like I will miss you forever
And I don’t know what to do
Bruised like never before

Sweet sipping sounds
And notes of vanilla bean
Wrapped up in the Monday migraine
With little left to do than lie in bed

But this is not the bother
The warm morning soup fills bellies
Until all senses direct to feet in slippers
Then work boots
Then frigid temperatures

No, not to give into the call of society
But to edit its intensity
To choose not to leave quite yet
To choose to indulge in a sunrise’s delight

We are not meant to leave this safe space
Of brown blankets and lavender
We are meant to cultivate it as a garden
So that we may blossom into a new tomorrow

The words I say might trigger
Heavy, lead-coated feelings
Taste of bitter copper
Straining of the soul

Nothing will be good
When I utter honesty
And dust is swept off of skeletons
Hidden by- guess who?

Quiet could blanket
But what’s the fun in leaving things be?
What’s the point without my finger
Extended in your direction

Be careful with your next choices
In my mind circles the knowledge
Of your ***** little secrets
Wrapped up in craft-grade twine