you once planted daisies in my rib cage

you said the flowers were supposed to make me beautiful inside
but I have never felt beautiful

****
the closest thing to beauty I know

is the way the letters of your name hang on the tip of my tongue
and when we kissed

I felt the galaxies inside of you
open up like they could swallow me whole
and I know they could

I knew the stars lived inside of you the first time you looked at me
and all I had were flowers

but baby I don’t think you remembered
how easily flowers wilt
when you forget to water them

maybe you thought
because the lights are on
someone’s home

but this house has been empty for years
I only left the door unlocked hoping you would find your way back inside

I left everything the way you like it
I remember you telling me all of your favorite things the night it was too cloudy to see the stars in the sky
or maybe it was because they had already made their way into your eyes

truth of the matter is
I never really cared for daisies until

I tried roses once
or maybe twice
but their thorns tore open my lungs and it was already so hard to breathe around you
I ripped them out of my chest like weeds

and I would much rather have your daisies back