Some things are better left alone
Like the pile of notes I have hidden under my mattress

All addressed to you, of course

Or the sweater that I can somehow stand to wear
Buried in my closet

From you, of course

And the slip of paper that has the first time you said "I love you" to me
Written on it

I actually think I threw it away, of course

Finally,
I need to leave alone the memories of you kissing me in the passenger seat of your car
And the time we picked sunflowers and pet the Shetland pony that lived next to your old house
Or the one moment we sat in your room and played the piano like we were revealing our souls

yeah
I need to throw all those away too

Casually
Acting
Normally whilst
Conducting
Everybit of
R**age

Before my first drink I always think the beer, the ***, the tequila, or the wine will help me relax- dull my mind and soothe the fire raging in my chest

But it only fuels it until it's simmering and white hot
The only thing it dulls is my inhibition

I am angry
And have every right to be.

If you're not furious,
You're not paying attention

And unarmed teenagers will be shot dead
And drones will rain bombs on women and children
If they aren't killed they'll be enslaved

And who's to say which is worse?

We love our chains
And we kneel to our captors
Begging for scraps while they sit on mountains of gold

I have one thing to say

Let it burn.

I long for those days
When we had something to treasure
Outside the sheets.

When we were in love
When "we are in love",
Were we actually?
Are we now?

Because
Even those kisses
And nights full of *******
Feel unrequited.

I ache
For your love
Not your lust,
which is all I've been seeing.

It was wrong to love you,
I knew that.
Sneaking and skulduggery.
A web of lies.
Lies that tripped me up,
Lies that I believed.

Now that I think back,
I know that you wove those webs.
But I liked being caught,
I liked playing your game.
I loved you.
I thought you loved me.

I think of your poems when I'm in a crowd.
I memorize your lines and recite them out loud
into a sea of unsuspecting faces,
so that they fall in love with words, like I did yours;
strung together by the wisdom of your golden graces.

I want to bask in the glory of sharing your story,
and celebrate tonight in honor of you.
If I make your poetry a part of my life,
can I become a part of yours too?

I will tell you of their laughter and smiles.
How they wept, danced, rejoiced -
how the whole crowd went wild.

I want you to hear of their praises because I think you're divine.
I'll spend the rest of my days writing odes of thanks.
Forever indebted to you and your kind
for letting your words become mine.