the washer rocks
off kilter
while my brother
strums the bass,
i listen from
the back porch
with the sun
going down
and i feel bad
for anyone
that doesn’t get
to feel like
this.

i wish your love
was as easy to win
as blackjack
but you can’t cheat
at this game,
you can only gamble.

they gave me
the gift of insanity
but forgot the bow
and wrapping paper

the spirit in the staircase is
always a creaky reminder of
what you could have said.

wear your heart on your sleeve
where it can be seen but not
broken.

you turned my heart
into a bird
and my chest into a cage

i’m an open book.
my words are bold and
forever imprinted on my skin.
some people don’t dare
to look close enough to see them,
others misinterpret them,
but they’re still there
unchanged.
one day i hope you’ll look closer,
read me, & understand.