there were five men
who had a permanent residence
within her bulging heart.
Jay Gatsby, the tragically hopeful
Peter Pan, the child who never grew up
a fellow from Montana
a five-year-old angel
and a blond-hair blue-eyed boy.
none of them solely loved
her.
none of them stayed with her
either.
yet she constantly ached for their
presence
and she always fiercely loved
each.
until the boy tore her heart into
pieces
and the only thing she could love
were her attempts to make her pain some sort of
beautiful.