At 8AM
Their voices rise
Angry statements
No surprise

By 9
Their shouts seep under doors
Revealed to all
Through vibrating floors

At 12
Mom comes down the stairs
"I'm going out."
We all just stare

'Cause though she smiles
Her eyes vacant
And the makeup she wears
Can't hide her hatred

Her eyes swollen red
Tears streak her face
As she puts on her heels
And tries leaving with grace

The house is silent
No one voices concern
We all know she'll be back
It's just something we've learned

By 7
She's back pretending all's well
Setting plates out for dinner
For an unspoken hell

By 8PM
The silence grows
No one speaks up
And they throw silent blows

Which turn into doors
Slamming shut as plates fall
Accusations now flying
Forming a verbal squall

"How could you do this?"
"Well it's your fault, not mine!"
"I'M NOT TO BLAME."
A common tag line

Above all, I hear
"I have expectations of you!"
Looking down, I whisper
"I have expectations too."

You

Don't feel a thing
While curtains are drawn
You're just pulling strings

You're making them fight
Scratch scream and cry
Fighting for life
Saying goodbye

You're forcing them
To cut all their ties
Tearing the hem
Of all of their lives

You're forming lies
And placing the blame
Claiming they're allies
Not puppets to tame

But now there's a twist
You had a role
Rumors amidst
All out of control

Everyone knows
Someone's losing their touch
Things that were simple
Now all way too much

I don't know if you see
Or can even guess who
You might think it's me
But really

It's you.

Falling
for the way you make me feel
for your contagious grin
and the way your presence lights up the room.

Laughing
over the most ridiculous things
over our sing-song rapping
and the absurdity of life.

Wishing
that you would take my hand
that you would kiss my lips
and hold me close.

Watching
as you entered bliss
as you held her gaze
and you fell for her.

Missing
how it felt to be with you
how your touch lingered on my skin
and your voice echoed in my ears.

Suppose time was endless
A never ending cycle
In which we lived the same moments
Over and over again

Unconsciously

My mind wanders
To your watchful eyes
Staring into mine

Endlessly

Your thumb traces circles
A tingling caress
And our fingers intertwine

Tenderly

I feel your shoulder
Strong and unyielding
Press against mine

Softly

You whisper
Your words floating in the silence

"It's okay."

To let the tears trail down my cheeks
Each streak leaving me more and more vulnerable to you

"It's okay."

To find comfort in your touch
And discover solace in your presence

"It's okay."

To fall in love with everything about you
And relive each moment together

As though time was endless.

Wandering through silence,
I'm guided by your voice,
Leading me nowhere
As if I've a choice.

I'm drawn to your presence,
Your effortless smile,
Your bubbling laughter,
And enchanting guile.

We talk on and on,
Through the dark til dawn's break.
A fairytale so real,
Now so blatantly fake.

I eagerly follow
Your mellifluous lies
Of halcyon days,
A promising guise.

Now, though you're gone,
And you've drawn the line.
I still feel your hand
Entwined with mine.

I still hear your whisper,
See your goofy expressions.
My heart's still in your hands,
Such a foolish confession.

Because, don't you see?
I would say, "I love you",
If you hadn't turned
And gone to someone new.

Stay on your toes
or fall to the ground.
The audience watching
won't make a sound.

No one will help you,
broken limbs on the floor.
Silent pleas screaming
for a painless escape.

You can jump at the walls,
try to claw your way out,
but animal instincts
won't prevail in this cage.

My mind's growing numb,
I just grow through the motions.
Let the seconds tick by
as I wait for the moment

*meant for me to die.

To faded hugs
Worn and frayed over time
To the smiles and laughter
Lost in years gone by

To pinky promises
Vowing a friendship forever
I realize now
There are some storms we can't weather

To that mischievous grin
That melted my heart
The one that I'll miss
As we spend time apart

To the effortless love
I still feel when we touch
To the one-sided lust
That became all too much

To the memories growing fonder
More contrived and cliché
To the determination I have
Claiming we'd be okay

For years this has been
An intense tug-of-war
With our hearts on the line
I can't take anymore

So goodbye to you
And the road that we've paved
I'll forever cherish
The memories we've made