for a while
you were my home
for a while
you were holed up in my chest.

we made blanket forts,
set up christmas lights,
threw pebbles at traffic,
and soon,
we were unable to distinguish days from nights
then i took you for a tour
into my soul, through my delights

I lead you to a mirror

my dear

that's where you first saw you and me
but you only saw your scars
and i still tried to show you what we could be
but at the sight of yourself
you lost what could have been ours.

you ran away
leaving a trail
running through me
and soon
your words became my skin
your smile, my cells
my arteries were open and gushing
but you were constantly hushing
lest anyone hear my heart bursting from its encasement, underneath your heel.

and now, memories of blanket forts and laughing snorts can't drown out the howling wind blowing through my open chest.
where we used to play.