when my mind is a scattered mess
all i know is
the way your lips move when you're forming
the words “you're beautiful”
and i will never hold on to anything
harder than i do your hands when i feel that you're
slipping away and i'm slipping away and
the ground is split between the tips of our shoes.
when i feel as if the sky is falling
there is nothing more comforting than being
under the shelter of your torso
and the reassurance your kisses bring and
the way your lips flicker over my collarbone
as you whisper that i'll be okay
and we'll be okay
and everything will be okay
because i don't have to worry about
anything, anything at all.
when the morning is cold all i can remember
is the weight of your arm over my waist and
i am safe and the curtains are drawn and
the memories from last night aren't remnants, but novels.
i hope one day
i'll be able to return your “i love you”s
with something more permanent and confident
than “thank you” and maybe someday i'll be
able to say it back to you but for now
i am a broken wave
and that is why i insist we take walks at 3am
since my affinity with lampposts is defined
by the way i can safely tell you
to look at our combined shadows
and promise that
we can be one if we just try.