Taken to the shadows, amass the gathered fall
Dreams of darkened hours sing
fresh in every mindset, placing avenues in the past

Brick and mortar tendencies
build a fortress around your heart,
as every nightfall wisdom
or sound against the rail, echoes in trust

Footprints in the mud…forward and back again
Never once a closed eye, an unclenched fist,
as I, the lone silhouette against your stained glass fears
stand firmly at the gate of brass and forged steel,
tarnished by weather but steady as devotion,
protecting you from the deepest of harm

Seeking nothing…not an ounce of peace,
for this role is now my destiny, my soul surrender
to a heart that beats within my own existence
in melodic undertones of poetic truths

And I gaze upon the Autumn moon, shining its light
upon your beauty, which I have come to long
in visions of my own shortcomings…alone

Six small words, that's all.


Six. Small. Words. 


Yet they sit mute on my tongue, held tightly by fear of the destruction they will cause. 

Seven syllables.
Swirling around my brain, screaming through my consciousness everytime we talk, begging to be spoken, consuming my every panicked thought.

Twenty two letters.
A small amount, though enough to tear two worlds into shreds and cast friendship into darkness everlasting.


They're only words, right?

If that were true, I would scream them across the sea, my truth drowning out the roar of the tide..... but these words would take you from me, so I bite down on them, imprison them within, where they churn and spit with fury at my cowardice.

Six small words I'll always mean but never say, seven syllables that would send you reeling, running, betrayed.  Twenty two letters that I could only ever follow with "I'm sorry" as I watch you walk away.