It hurts.
It hurts so much to see you in the halls
to see those piercing eyes and gorgeous smile
directed at her.

Once upon a time
You found joy in simple things
It was a jar of baby carrots
Now it's two carat diamond rings

Once upon a time
Every ounce of you was hope
You always prepared for the best
Now you prepare yourself to cope

Once upon a time
That smile didn't leave your face
Now when you feel it on your lips
You press it down until it's straight

Childhood you
Was a bit naive
But now that you're grown up
You've lost the courage to believe

It's easy to be cynical
Bad things are all over, after all
We're all business, things hardly impress us
But maybe that's our downfall

So think like you did once upon a time
And don't worry about being understood
Look around, lift your eyes off the ground
And find joy in anything good

Go ahead and stay hopeful
Being let down sometimes
Is better than being hopeless
And staying down at all times

Childhood you
Was a bit naive
Or perhaps more in-tune
With what happiness means

"I'm fine"
I told you with a smile
no one know the truth that hides
that I'm breaking inside

a.v.

I wish we could have just learned over time.
Anything that shines - can make you go blind.
like fools gold, love can be a foolish find.
it hurts you, where you hurt most every-time.
soulmates slowly misaligned and doubt appears
as emotions liquefy and turn to tears.
Hearts; torn apart on both sides --
              the scars last for years.
              same story, two sides,
              no matter how it appears;
- the worst part; is always saying good-bye.
- the hardest part; is always accepting why.

We ache so much,
Our hearts look like paper snowflakes,
Worn as badges on our sleeves,
They scream—
We are still beating.
You've got a laugh like a helium balloon filled with too much air;
I've got a smile made out of paper mâché.
We walk a tightrope just to meet in the middle.
We're not acrobats,
But we want to believe that
Falling together is better than standing on solid ground alone.
You promised you'd hold me until the lights went out,
But sweetheart, it's been dark for so long,
We've created our own spark,
From the warmth of our breath
And the steady rise and fall of our chests as one.
We may break each other's hearts,
But we stay and pick up the pieces,
And though we have cracks,
We'll fill them with gold—
I swear, they'll write about us one day,
Long after we've forgotten
The wind rattling the glass,
The kettle boiling over.