"I liked your smile better
When you were younger,"
She said
I was tempted to ask why
But we both knew.

Agreed, that love is attraction
    - though not only surface sensual,
      as you maintain,
      not only toward the external -
But that sweet involuntary pull is
      also inward for expansion;
      for interior sifting
      and resolution.
Love is primarily attraction to
      unexplored depths
      of the self.




- fr

i've never met you and yet
i know that your soul is made of starlight
and at night i glimpse your rays arching through the skies
searching, ever searching for the warmth of another starlit soul
with which to collide

it hurts to watch it unfold
your shine instead collides with rock and darkness
siphoning parts of you away and yet still you light up the world
giving, always giving every inch of your being until your starlight fades to grey

Hurt, angry, confused, lost, struggling
Put the mask on so they can't see and judge
"What do you have to be upset about?"
What I perceive as stressors don't matter to you
Under pressure
Feeling low
Weak under the weight
Swinging my arms, flailing, trying to grasp
But not making solid contact
No idea what to do
Except keep wearing the mask
Everything's fine.