echoes slide from ear to ear
steer clear of fear
brimming, bubbling
look at me mumbling

                                                       avoid

can your head feel heavy?
my eyes are brawling
consternation calling
it thrusts and thickens and begs me to listen

                                                        a­void

tap those fingers
curl those toes
sickness lingers
i'm coming to blows
                                        
                  ­                                      avoid

beats broaden
shoulders soften
the churning stops burning
this remedy is working

                                                        ­til next time

don't be the ted
my brother said
inferring I maybe say too much
or
care too much
or
love too much

i'm the kinda guy who kinda wants to stumble and fall
and careen down towards a wedding gown
i want the smiles and moments
to compile the components
to buy you a ring without knowing your name

step back
breathe

It's a hazy phase
where days seep into memories
There are no remedies for this notion
That I'm parentheses
In a love story that isn't mine.

I never thought I'd love you.
I never thought I'd lose you.

Holding hands and handing demands to our hearts and our heads. My fingers tap illicitly across your palm into the sheets. The ceiling is blown open and the stars
are ours.

It's hard to love yourself.

We ebb and flow each day and night and carry the weight of our interactions. I had this thought, I made someone laugh, I hurt someone today. It's easy to barricade yourself in the mud of it all.

You need to love yourself.

Forgive yourself. Accept yourself. Know yourself. Take full responsibility for your life. Honor yourself. Nurture and strengthen yourself.

Doing these things is the farthest thing from easy. You'll quake and cry as you try and try and you'll have your ups and your incredible downs. But you are human, and most importantly, you are you. We have one vessel and one lifetime to give ourselves our absolute best.

Love yourself, ******.