i had this terrible habit; i’d look for my voice in yours. i believed every word the photographs said. we squeezed the color from our eyes; marooned squinting souls. forever scared me into today. i stopped time with my heart and in my veins i could feel you tick. eventually we became exhausted syllables; punctuated with mistakes till we were full with no stop. i miss you in ways my pen is still unable to articulate. an inkling of memories that wonder if you still sleep alone at night. and if i were to be asked, i’d do you all over again. of all the things we shared, hesitation was never one of them. scarred knees, clasped hands, strained in penance, you remain my prayer. i limped away with one recurring reminder: you cannot tame the wind, just ride the lesson. on the last night, galaxies sat at the basin of my stomach. your name a kissed pronunciation of stars dripping in constellations. sometimes i sneak your taste into the mouths of all the lovers you should have been. i hope you realise this is not poetry but a collection of whys & what ifs. we are the lonely ones, the lovely ones, the languages you were too afraid to speak