I am
really good at
tearing away
people who love me.

My father made a new friend
Mother does not approve of.
Draped in orange and white,
bears a fire in her he cannot handle.

But with lips pressed against her
he took in her hidden ugliness.
She was too clingy.
He said,
"I can't breathe."

Those three words became the worst we'd ever heard
right behind
"You have cancer."

Time became a distant tune;
waiting,
waiting,
waiting.

My father has expiration dates
tattooed under his eyelids.
He plans his funeral like the 50th birthday party he will never get
but there will be too much blurry vision and black,
no one will know the difference.

1.  It is hard to love beautiful when it is made of porcelain.
2. You cannot tear off your flesh to keep someone warm and expect to be fine.
3. Thunderstorms and the way you say my name both make me fearful.
4. Breathing in toxic fumes will make your lungs collapse and your heart ignite.
5. You taught me that making love to your mouth was the only way I'd ever be heard.
6. Men do not love like women who love like breathing is not a priority.
7. There is proof God exists.
8. Burning down the truth while it is still in your mouth is not poetic.
9. You can't wipe the blood from your hands if it's been there for too long.
10. Purple is not the color of royalty, it is the color of sin.

Empty promises;
you learn to admire them in their pretty little boxes.
Wrapped in silk lies,
smoothed over with false hope and contradicting faith.