And I will give this parting word
Knowing you’ll never hear it
But love, as they say, is a verb
So my action’s to lift your spirit
To know that breath escapes my lungs
To do what I must to meet you lips
The twisting of unspeaking tongues
The grazing of unworthy fingertips

Parting is an ever aware
And unwelcome party guest
A weight that drives and despairs
Bringing tension to my chest
Though I would press ten times such costs
To say these vocalize such words
Of love, of want, and of inevitable loss
Of things ceasing to be heard

You are more
Beautiful
More brilliant
Reminiscent of stars
And librarians
With their glasses
Hooked on strings

And yet I am
Here
Wait for you
To notice me
To find me
To love
Something
About me

And you speak to me
And post your
Little
Self deprecating
Harmful
Hurtful
Thoughts
Of how you’re
Unloved and alone

The room
You’ve locked yourself
In
Is shut
Unopened
Do not disturb
With walls lined
In black

But with
The light off
And your hands
Over your
Beautiful
Wide
Tear-filled eyes
You fail
To see me
Wanting to
Love you

And by her eyes you know she’s curious
In a world jammed full and furious
How she could be something more to anyone but herself

How her voice could be heard amongst the crowd
Or her head be kept under the clouds
How she’s more than just one of the a billion on the shelf

She would sit ever so properly
Trying to be the best that she could be
And the days would leave and greet her where she’d stand

But the princes were for fairytales
In a world that crushed things that were so frail
If they didn’t turn to dust in her own hands

The dragons growing more real each day
With breath of hot terminal dismay
And she was no hero, she was barely her

No sword appearing in her hand
No puzzle in which to understand
The reality that existed, so absurd

And she could give it all up now
Fade to black and take her bow
She could exit such things and just be gone

But she was very curious
In a world of the superfluous
What exactly kept her moving on

Some days
She finds
Herself
Vacant
One
Self-destruct switch
Away
From
A life
Her own
But different

The steps
She takes
So delicate
As not to
Hurt
Still leave
Craters
In living room
Floors
Unmistakable

But better
Are craters
Of shrapnel
Than to be
Stagnant
Feet embedded
In a place
Where she
Finds
Only vacancy

She paints such things
That the world thought it knew
But in such a way
That each color, each hue
Each texture, so surreal
It transcended the real
And gave off the feel
Of Monique

Born of the embers
Of undiscovered stars
With eyes that would shine
Amidst streetlights and cars
And then outshine the day
With a brilliant array
As if this world, it spake
Of Monique

Emulating sunrises
With beauties of sunsets
A smile on her face
That no soul would forget
Each whisper a symphony
Embedded in history
The untold, renowned mysteries
Of Monique

Prophet and poet
Both will rise and will fall
The words of greats and kings
Will then fade, all in all
Yes the universe sings in praise
Compilations all raised
On the beautiful shades
Of Monique

My voice is cracking
My eyes filled with crust
These fingers will curl
As I venture to the dust
But I would wish nothing more
Than to write a score
Of the love that is stored
For Monique

Does the falling sound like waterfalls?
Can you hear your heart longing
Every note she wrote, she wrote to you
Pen fervent, pulse stalling

Does the falling sound like waterfalls?
Are you drenched? Are you dry?
Amidst the rushing life, stand still
See what so often eludes your eye

Does the falling sound like waterfalls?
Is the calling drowned and out?
Float like reeds or sink like stones
As words tumble out your mouth

Does the falling sound like waterfalls
When it echoes in your soul?
Will you let the floodgates open?
Or by the depths be swallows whole?

I looked for you
Amongst the pale and grey
As I saw you fading away
Melting
Into the concrete
Falling to defeat

So I bent a knee
Inaudible prayers for you
Then unlaced my walking shoes
Time
I placed into your cup
Hoping it would be enough

No plan to stop the tears
Inelegant, no grace
Shirt wet where you buried your face
Grief
I lost you in your pale and grey
But I know I’ll find you again in a smile

We’ll speak and measure
Only the amount you need
Contemplating long walks and sore feet
Rising
Don your shoes, pick you up
As you did for me miles before