I'm falling.
How can no one
hear my screams or
see what holds me captive?
I'm trying to stay afloat,
and no one sees that.
I'm falling.

his words burned through people
with barely a care in the world
corrosive, toxic, flammable,
the strongest acid she'd ever seen.

her words slid over people
like soap, a weak base
so she kept quiet
meek could have been
her middle name.

she thought they could neutralize.
she thought he was a weaker acid,
one that could complement her,
not one that burned at the touch.

but burn he did.

nevertheless, she prevailed.

your fears may seem like giants
you, on the other hand,
are reduced to a speck.
you need to speak to the giants
tell them what you know -
that they're trying to protect you.
thank them, then let go of their hands.
you'll grow and grow until
you're eye level with the giants
then, you'll tell them you're strong,
that you can handle this.
the giants will shrink and shrink
until they become specks.

with the others,
a tiny flame burned,
then went out.
she felt cold ashes,
which choked her spirit.

with him, and only him,
a flame consumed her,
and it continues to burn.
she feels a warm glow,
which frees her spirit.

today was infused with an energy so strong
that you could see crackling electricity in the air.
the energy settled and slowed down
until it flowed like molasses, calm and languid.

the sun bids a farewell to the earth,
then waves at the moon
because it's her cue.
she always comes  
at the perfect time,
and she helps the night
whisper hello to the world.

our deepest desires
shine under the soft light.
they always catch fire
as we whisper good night.

on some days
I'm a piece of sandpaper -
rubbed and rubbed
until I'm raw and stinging,
until there's almost nothing left.

but there's a little corner
that doesn't sting,
that renews my hope,
that heals every part of me
until I'm whole again.

she felt his gravitational pull
she thought it would lead
to another universe
one glittering with stars.

instead, she was pulled into
a vast, pitch black void -
one with no life to be seen,
in which stars were only a dream.

she could only hear her heartbeat
and his voice tempting her
she started to shiver,
wondering when this would end.

suddenly, she felt a pull
from the people she loved
that pull was strong, urgent -
just what she needed to leave him.

before she knew it,
she was back in her universe,
safe, warm, loved, lively.
the stars were here all along.

the clouds were crying
to release the weight
from their shoulders.
yet there was no storm,
no ominous claps or flashes.
the sky was the lightest blue -
content, tranquil, at peace.

he latched onto her inexperience,
his fangs sank into her skin,
refusing to let go until
he had full access.

her heart raced,
but for the wrong reasons
her thoughts ran in circles
until they couldn't run anymore.

she noticed the poisonous leech
desperately attempted to shake him
yet his fangs sank in deeper -
drawing blood, forming a scar.

their experience helped her
remove the leech,
the poison was drained
with an antidote - support.

when she talks to him,
her words run together.
her heart sings a love song,
eyes glowing with the truth.

he peeled off the bandages on his heart,
and for the first time, I saw the cuts.
some shallow, some deep.
he told me the story of each cut,
running his hands over the wounds,
wincing at the sharp pain.
my eyes filled with tears -
seeing the person I love in pain
made my own heart ache.
yet I remained quiet, listened,
gave him space to share his story,
and let him know that I understood.
he trusts me, and I refuse to cut his heart.
I love him, and I'll never put him through that.

she waits for the days when their eyes will meet again. the days when his arms keep the rest of the world out in order to let her in. the days when his smile beckons her to drop the armor at his feet and present her raw, vulnerable self to him. the days when her eyes drink him in slowly and deliberately to savor the memory.

until then, her laughter rings out over hundreds of miles. his caring questions touch her heart just the same. his musings about random topics never fail to rivet her. her smile lingers long after their talks, and her love never dies.

I stare at the 15 year old girl
for the last time
her features match mine -
the only difference was her youth
they lowered her into the ground
I covered my eyes with my hands.

a few days later, I visited her grave
wondering if her spirit was nearby
etched onto her obsidian gravestone -
"here lies innocence in its purest form,
you will be greatly missed,
1999-2015"

all the words came pouring out -
all the words she didn't have then
that I found, that I have now.
I told her that she did nothing wrong,
that I love her, that I'm sorry this happened.
the tears flowed as fast as the words.

and that was when I saw it -
her spirit - dressed in white, smiling.
her weary eyes met mine as she spoke.
"my body left, but not my soul.
he didn't take my soul away,
and he never will. I'm always here."

I embraced her with all my strength,
happy tears streaming down my face.
she smiled for the first time in a while.
I whispered, "I'll be back, I promise."
I walked away from the cemetery,
a content smile on my face.