That caught your attention.

But the moments leading up to it didn’t.

They say
it takes
seven years
for a
body
to replenish all of
its cells

Only
six years
six months
and
twenty-eight days
left
until
no trace of you
lingers
on my skin

No tickle
from your lips
on my neck
no stickiness
from your fingers
on mine
no bruises
from your hands
on my arms

There is
hope
for this
broken
body

They say
it takes
seven years
of
bad luck
to recover from
a shattered reflection

There is
hope
for this
broken
soul

I hate realizing I forgot to take my
meds. I don’t mind taking them. I need
them to pretend I can function. And
forgetting until the next morning can
be brutal, but I get right up and start
again. But when I realize they didn’t
slide down my throat and enter my
bloodstream in the middle of the day,
or halfway through the time of night
when magic unfolds and destruction
happens, I’m reminded of something.

I’m reminded that these small, white
discs with an indent down the middle
are the only thing keeping me from
climbing the tallest building and
taking a deep breath. I’m reminded
that I’m not in control. I’m reminded
that I wouldn’t want it if I had it.


-
by Aleksander Mielnikow

His love was that of the moon.
Always genuine and always beautiful,
But from Earth’s perspective,
Not always full.

Luckily,
She was not Earth.
She happened to be the sun.
Her perspective was different.

So she continued to shine on his every being,
Showering every particle with light and warmth.
She just wanted to make him feel alive.

She knew his magic and wanted others to see him in his entirety.
So even as he faded from Earth,
She never lost sight of his beauty,
For she knew he would always make his way back around.

And each time she waited,
Longing,
Shining,
Hoping next time he would choose to stay closer.

But he did not.

Nevertheless,
Her shine is bright.
She will remain where she needs to be.
And life will continue onward.