I am unloved,
like a broken toy,
lopsided and crushed,
arms and legs,
at strange angles,
as if I had been dropped,
by a child,
too careless,
to set me down nicely.
I am broken,
like a wine glass,
dropped by accident,
shattered into a million pieces,
spilling its liquid contents,
on the cold hard floor,
leaving a stain,
where I fell.
I am lost,
like the missing twin,
of a sock,
long forgotten,
in the bottom of the drawer,
never to be reunited,
with its mate.
I am drained,
like an empty bathtub,
once warm and bubbly,
now cold and dusty,
lifeless and hard,
its purpose forgotten.
I am bitter,
like the lingering taste,
of black coffee,
on the back of the tongue,
making it hard,
to swallow.
I am somber,
like a funeral procession,
silently marching along,
musing over,
once forgotten memories,
of happier times.

Your smile sparkles like the stars and galaxies in the night sky,
You bite the end of your pen
and attempt to concentrate on your homework,
but your hair falls down over the right side of your vision.
So you push it out of the way and sneak a glance in my direction,
then quickly back at the computer sitting on your lap,
and the reflection of the screen lights up the
somewhat-tired-sleepy-wish-I-didn’t-have-to-do-this-homework-­so-we-could-just-make-out
expression on your face.
Breathing becomes more shallow
as you catch my not-so-subtle glance at your neckline,
and I trace the shape of your collarbone
and imagine the soft velvety feel of your skin
underneath the tips of my worn-out-from-writing fingers.
I want to hold you close as we both fall asleep,
and then wake early in the morning to make that
bitter-black-smell-that-lingers first cup of coffee.
I want to mix the taste of our tongues,
mix that black coffee with the milk in your cereal bowl
and taste of the skin on your neck,
as we forget about work and school
and fall back into the nest of sheets on your bed.

The stars stare down from the heavens,
casting their judgmental glares
The heat of the night clings to my shirt,
making a drop of sweat,
send shivers down my spine.
An inhale of breath,
still sweet with summers smells,
Lights flicker in the distance.
Cities,
Homes,
Cars,
Wandering down the rocky path,
Sitting like we used to...
Memories strike with sudden vividness,
another night,
shared with her,
still smelling of summer,
hands wound tightly together,
lips sharing a soft touch.
Finding a place in the world,
even for a few minutes...
Trying to remember the beginning,
Avoid the ending...
Broken hearts,
Losing a girl,
Losing a friend,
Someone who understands...

Not feeling loss,
just lost.

Lean in,
close...
closer,
feel your heart pitter patter
as their scent washes over you.
Let the warmth of their breath
gently caress your cheek.
Slowly kiss their neck,
the soft spot right above their collar bone.
Linger there,
tasting their smooth skin,
a pleasant mixture
of their soap and
the slightly salty taste of sweat.
Listen to them inhale slightly
at the electric tingle of your lips.
Feel them press their body closer to yours,
one hand tightly gripping your arm
the other winding their fingers
through hair on the back of your head.
Pull back,
gaze into their eyes,
blue and grey,
like a stormy day on the ocean,
or green like the summer leaves,
swaying in the breeze,
or brown like a small milk chocolate,
melting from the heat in your hand.
Inhale...
Exhale...
Hold this moment in your mind,
trap it in your memories forever.
Let it be the thought that you remember,
when you've forgotten everything,
when you've forgotten everyone,
even when you've forgotten your own name.

I want to burn,
I want to burn with such passion that I scorch the earth that I walk upon.
I want my heart to erupt into flames, my chest bursting with orange and red tongues of fire.
I want ash to pour from my mouth and for my eyes to smolder like coals.
I want my skin to blister and bubble where your fingers caress it.
I want the concept of cold to be foreign to me, for heat is all I know.
I want to burn, and for you to burn with me.

For those who burn are blessed,
because most of the world is cold,
and don't know what it feels like
to have the heat and passion of love grow in your chest,
until it is the only thing you feel.
I want to burn.