It's been awhile since that nightmare;
I haven't cried since then.
I've never cried tears of joy
or wept out of fear
like I did in your kitchen

Failing to protect ones I love
is a haunting notion.

You're a living ghost that
reminds me of a mistake.
A Victorian-era opaque mist
that keeps me up most nights,
reminding me of the edge I walked

You inspire equal parts of
love, terror, and loyalty

Although we made it through
that hell physically unscathed,
we didn't make it out unchanged.
Overramped on stolen speed
Living apparition, don't ever leave

I understand what happens when
a piece of you is given to another:
you grow as you give.
When part of you dies, you feel it
for the entirety of your life