One day I'll talk about the pain
In retrospect
And I'll talk about the way I healed
It won't be a stretch
One day I'll talk about the pain
Like an old friend in high school
Familiar faces focused on the has-been
But only for a little bit
One day I'll talk about the pain in retrospect

Why'd you have to
Show up on my comedown
And ask if you could hang around
Like old times, 4 years ago, flew somehow
Who was I then? Who are you now?
Why'd you have to
Show up on my uprising
And act so very surprised
To learn I was giving goodbyes
Did you think I'd wait forever?
Losing you was an endeavor I could not
Heal from, instead I had to run
And why did you have to ask me if
I was happy? Or if I was having fun?
Please don't pull me back
I've no time for your conundrums
Why'd you have to change for the good
Second guess the way I'm dodging you in this state I fell in and out of love in
All In a year
Why'd you have to come back here?
I felt so ******* strong

I was 16
I asked you for understanding
You said you'd never pity me
So I stopped reaching up to
Where you placed yourself
Above me on a throne framed
In ivory. Tusks like fences,
You said you didn't feel sorry for me.
You never cared who or what had to die
To make yourself happy.
I got blood from my wrists
On your stark white gown.
You kicked me out for being messy.

an ode to what I am not
convenient
or skinny
organized
or welcoming
an ode to what you beg of me
all of these things I cannot be,
I will not be not ever
forever is a long time
to spend bending
your image of me
into something
that fits in your wallet
an ode to what I am not
gentle, rose colored china
sunday mornings with herbal tea
your hope or step in your 12 to get up
a beam of light at the edge of blackness
an ode to what I do not possess
healing powers like some 2,000 year old man
you pray to every day and beg I do the same
patience for another human who whats to change
who and what I am not
so I can play the part
I did not even audition for
an ode to what I am taking
back, my life
all of me, front and center
of the floor

I keep having dreams
Like I used to but
In black and white
I still had butterflies
In this one we got married
We were still nineteen
But when the time came
For you to kiss me
I fell sick with agony
Your kiss was laced with venom
I walked the aisle to the blues
The trumpet numbed my ears
I fell out of love with you
But you're still in my sleep
Why do you still make me weak?

Blue cheese chunks
Peanut butter chest pains
Name a food right now
I'll promise to ruin it for you
6 cups of coffee past your limit
Your heart ripped itself out of your
Ribcage an hour ago and is running
Sloppy joe laps around the park trying to ground itself
Angel hair pasta before you break it
Into boiling water but it still has chills
Spoiled milk in lucky charms,
Sugar sticking to the side of the bowl
Pulling at your skin like Colby jack strings
Picking at derma like an orange
But you aren't sweet or refreshing
You're wilting like that salad you bought
And let rot for a month
Because THIS was the last time
You'd start over your lifestyle
Almond bark emotions
And candy cane apologies
Name a food and I promise
Anxiety will ruin it for you

in the springtime
   all the ice is melting
so fast you feel like
   you're drowning
but the flowers are budding
   watch where you step
some lakes look like puddles
    you spent months climbing
to the tops of snowbanks

when pinks and greens
    saturate your feet
they make their way up
   to your flowerbed brain
please let them in to stay
   you spent all winter erasing
colors from your memory
   now the sun cannot
brighten your greys  
   not alone

when the bees in your head
   stop swarming around
you saw each one fly away
   and out with each seed
you planted here on earch
   where you haven't felt
calm in a year and now you're breathing
   to the rhythm of the sun