I am in love with a boy
Who was born blind
In his left eye
I had no idea until one day
His grandmother decided
To fill me in
And I almost laughed because
I saw no tell-tale signs
of this affliction
And like a small child
Acting on a prediction
I covered your eye with
My hands and asked,
"So you can't see me?"
Our noses nearly touching
But our souls feeling far
"No," he replied
"But I  don't need to
To know how beautiful you are."

I'm told I might die next week.
I'm told I should get my affairs in order.
I'm told to try and get rest before the big day.
I'm told to put my stuff in this closet.
I'm told to count backwards.
I'm told I've been out cold for 3 days.
I'm told I will live another week.
I'm told they didn't get it done.
I'm told I will need to repeat the process in a week.
I'm told to stay close to the centre.
I'm told there is less chance next time.
I'm told I might die next week. *- Again

keep talking
as I am losing
losing this sanity
you destroy me
emotionally

sticks and stones
break my bones
but your words
cut me in pieces
they bleed me dry
I'm near the sky
on edge of death
are you done yet?

chapter one
we began
chapter two
I lost you, man
chapter three
pled for mercy
chapter four
on the floor
chapter five
I wasn't alive
yet, you smiled
chapter six
you saw death
chapter seven
dragged you from heaven
right down to hell
****** the life
out of your heart
then planned
your funeral
wore a veil
I didn't cry
I smiled
like you did
when I died

we both work in the postal service
but neither one of us
has ever sent a single love letter
maybe it's the drill of the job
maybe its the grind of the machines
or the clack of the keyboards
grind turns to a drone
and i look around to what we thought
were industrialized patents
were actually what we had once considered our friends
was that where they disappeared to?
instead of quitting the dead end
i had assumed too fearful to follow the leap
they hid away in mail bins and P.O. boxes
i thought i was alone
maybe i was
maybe they really did leave
their souls gone
with empty shells of bodies
remnants of what once was
yes
i am still alone
those who i knew have fled the building
in search of a more meaningful existence
winding in up in god knows where
anywhere but here
these gluttonous pantomimes only accept hopefuls
midlife crises who leap
at the opportunity for promotion
like increasing payroll would reduce their age
same as the twenty five year old liberal art grads who need a filler
to help pay rent while they work
on what will collectively become hundreds of thousands of volumes unpublished
here i stand
twenty eight years old
and strip off my badge
as it falls to the floor
i walk out the door
say hello to the next boarding train
(last stop your hometown)
and goodbye to the dead end road.

i hope it seared you,
this moment
your lips on mine
every crease of my mouth
imprinted in your memory
formaldehyde kisses so perfectly preserved