We found a complicated dance that we practiced for years
so often that from watching, each knew the others steps better than their own,
but you feared a misstep on stage and trembled violently in fear
and exited stage left, so I turned to the crowd and tried it alone.

Tell me how I am supposed to dance
when I have never practiced without your warm embrace,
and every concerned face with furrowed brows in the crowd's expanse
observes as I stumble clumsily in place.

I found you sauntering down your own path in the wild
staring at a dying flower that you picked but could not sustain,
but as you handed it to me you were wide-eyed and beguiled
as the thorns pressed into my flesh and opened a vein.

Tell me how I am supposed to bleed
when my hearts still lies on the stage where you left knowing,
that I will smash my fist into my chest to try to keep the beat
with faulty attempts to keep the blood flowing.

I watched you flee to the cliffs with raging waters below
grabbing a waiting companion by their hand,
you crashed into the current while I rocked with the waves to and fro
waiting to see if you would return to my side on the land.

Tell me how I am supposed to feel
when the waters that once calmed my raging soul,
stopped their gentle caress that once helped me heal
and eroded the hopes that kept me whole.

Now you return to land with dagger pains in your feet
tell me love, how far down did he get before craving air,
and we stand at the cliffs edge where land and water meet
staring at the distance to the depths that most wouldn't dare.

Tell me how else I'm supposed to love
when I never practiced without your warm embrace
and my heart still lies on the stage where you left knowing
that the waters that once calmed my raging soul
only did so because you were in them with me.