You could be my cancer, and for that I don't think I would mind
you seem to find that peculiar so read closely line by line.
My lungs don't matter much because I hardly breathe fresh air,
and maybe my last breath I breathe could be our breath to share.  
My skin please without it do not leave
for after all it was you that told me true beauty lies beneath.
Is there cancer of the eyes? If so please have them too,
I would be ever so lucky if the last thing I saw was you.
Cancer in my fingers? As malignant as all that came before
creep into my feeling and let me feel your skin once more.
If there is cancer in my arms I suppose it would be amputated,
but that's okay because then it's yours forever and for that I would be elated.
Sliding through my brain the cancer starts to spread
leaving me worthless lying lifelessly in our once shared bed.
Hardly a terrible fate since I spent my favorite moments there
loving you so wildly as if having an affair.
I could be making this up, but cancer of the heart would only make sense
because you touched my heart one day
and I've loved you ever since.

capricorn: how often do you love for a second and then forget, how many times have you loved so deeply you've thought it might be to the grave
aquarius: can you listen to their favorite genre of music without breaking down yet
pisces: how many times have your fingers ached and you've felt like it was because of the months you've gone without holding his hand
aries: how many lovers bedrooms have you occupied, how many times have you wanted three words to occupy your bones and make you feel warm
taurus: have you learned not to fall in love yet
gemini: how often do you try to pretend she never happened
cancer: how many times have you sat outside with a bottle of liquor typing in her phone number that you deleted before you started drinking
leo: have you forgotten the way he smiles yet or is that saved in your phone still along with all the text messages you two have ever sent
virgo: how many times have you sat in someone else's car and reached for her hand before realizing she's not driving
libra: have you been able to say out loud that she doesn't love you anymore and not end it with a choking sob
scorpio: how many times have you woken up at 3am and felt around your bed praying to a god you don't believe in that she would be there
sagittarius**: do you still hear him in the middle of the night when everything is quiet and you're breaking

castor and pollux
the twins from the milky way
argue in my head.

© Matthew Harlovic

a sylvan safety
doomed to die
so
left alone
it wonders why

corrupted carcass
melts to mush
as
choking chains
burn the brush

fearsome flames
lick at lies
and
rotten roots
fend off flies

blackened bark
torn in two
by
scent of smoke
of beastly brew

sinful scandal
heinous hate
cause
worlds to wander
and face their fate