You and I were broken
Elements,
Waiting to be paired
With another that would
Cause an irreversible reaction.
I envied the way your atoms were
Always bursting with energy
Inside of you that you often
Took for granted.

If you were oil, brash and bold,
I was water, invisible and quiet.
We tried to mix, but nature wouldn’t
Have it.
Continuously trying and failing to turn myself
Into an element that could be useful
To you,
An element that when combined with yours
Would instantly create heat and light.
A burning reaction
Full of love and lust
Mixed into one test tube.

But we failed the test.
Maybe it’s because guys like you—brash and bold
Don’t belong with girls like me—invisible and quiet.