i should have known
from the moment i saw you
and the time when you left
to my present diseased state now

should have saw the signs
and noticed the symptoms:
my chest constricts
whenever you're around
my lungs swiftly assaulted
leaving me gasping
as if i just swallowed
an entire ocean of saltwater

like asthma, you took my breath away
at first, it led me to a good place
akin to a whirlwind floral maze
now that you're gone
i thought i would recover
but then, as with asthma,
there is no cure for me
i realized with a shudder

the painful tattoos
were burnt into my heart
and there they will
remain forever