You poured down
Like a rainstorm
On a warm August night
Soaked dry clothes through
In your careless wake
Leaving me drenched in you
You were damp
On my skin
Weighing me down
Pulling me deep under
Until all I could do was tread water
And drown in you

You flew overhead
Like a baseball
Hit by a shy rookie
On opening night
Moved quick like lightning
And soared above the stands
You were out of reach
Out of my hands
Collecting hundreds of eyes
Raising people to their feet
Until you were out of sight
And disappeared completely

You burst forth
Like a firework
On the 4th of July
Full of color and light
Causing oohs and awes
From a captivated crowd
You were loud
In my ears
Cracking apart my doubts
Amplifying love instead
Until the show was over
And you grew quiet in the silence

You drew in
Like a painting
Birthed by a masterclass
With strokes of yellow and blue
Oils bleeding together
And colors blending into one
You were confounding
Out of my grasp
Receiving praise from the gallery
Applause from your admirers
Until you became famous in the afterglow
And forgot about your biggest fan

You left behind
Like an earthquake
Of the greatest proportions
With buildings toppled over
Car alarms blaring in the street
And rubble lying at my feet
You were gone
But took a second look back
To survey the damage you made
Estimate the cost of repairs
Until you held the pieces of me in your hands
And let them fall between your open fingers

You can make love
With careful caresses and tasteful touches
Your breath, slow and steady, on my neck
Your heart, hard and heavy, in your chest

Or you can ****
With harsh hands and boastful bites
Your breath, fast and frantic, on my neck
Your heart, rapid and reeling, in your chest

You can make love
With kind kisses and mild moans
Your body, pressed and playful, against me
Your eyes, wide and willing, fixed upon mine

Or you can ****
With snappy slaps and ****** vices
Your body, lewd and lively, against me
Your eyes, dilated and detailed, fixed upon mine

You can make love
And feel every detail of the other
Or you can ****
And leave in the morning for another

I’ve felt love before
In moonlit travels, bright and eager
And in frost bitten hearts
Frigid and cold on the skin

I’ve felt love before
In calloused hands, veined and pained
And in deep blue eyes
Beautiful and sad in their depths

I’ve felt love before
In hot water, steamy and passion-filled
And in laundered bed sheets
Tousled and unfolded around the edges

I’ve felt love before
In whispered words, quiet and lovely
And in plain white t-shirts
Wrinkled and loose on the skin

I’ve felt love before
In smooth kisses, careful and deliberate
And in bony collarbones
Sturdy and solid in their depths

I’ve felt love before
In wildest dreams, sewn shut and clean
And in technicolor reality
Neon and fuzzy around the edges

I’ve felt love before
In different men, unique and contained
But now in sharp contrast
Overflowing and pouring forth

you promised sweet smiles
like gumdrops and buttercups
a taste so **** it makes your lips pucker
just at the thought of it

you promised creature comforts
like breakfast in bed
a smell so familiar it feels like home
just at the thought of it

you promised vast visions
like bright white night stars
a sight so tremendous it makes your eyes spark
just at the thought of it

you promised magnificent music
like lullabies and quiet goodnights
a sound so playful it makes your ears perk
just at the thought of it

you promised deep desire
like red velvet roses
a touch so soft it makes your skin rise
just at the thought of it

but you also promised future memories
like holidays and yellow houses
a promise so broken it makes your heart hurt
just at the thought of it

honeysuckle vines raptured
with blossoms bursting at the seams
gargantuan purple plum figs
drooping on delicate branches
with aromas of pleasure and sweat
like tousled sheets on bedroom floors

insects crawl on tiny feet
with the smallest winking whiskers
chirps of crickets fill the night sky
pouring into the desperate silence
with sounds of eagerness and delight
like laughter through closed doors

the seeds sink in
with shells cracked open in need
soaked into the wet and hungry soil
pods broken, wasted underneath
with sour dirt between their teeth
like anger between quarreling lovers

feet planted into the cold earth
with roots stuck against the grain
heavy hearted tree trunks
aged and weathered in time
with wrinkled scars of the past
like faded memories of what’s gone

but the sun peeks through
with a hopefulness like never before
and beats down on the pale garden
that time seemed to forget
with lust and light and love
like a brand new start
with someone different

I'm full of emotion

All tip topsy turvy

With laughter billowing

Out of my pursed lips

And the sun is beating down

Through the half-down windows

Of your beat up Chevy truck

As it bounces down these country roads

Your hand loosely grips

The black leather steering wheel

While the other hand precariously

Balances a cigarette between *******

The wind jostles the truck

As you increase your speed

You look at me wildly

Daring me to tell you to stop

Instead, I look back

Studying every fraction of your face
Knowing this would be the last time

That this would be my memory of you

 
 
Wild, free, and beautiful

Daring life to take you away.

tanned by the filtered sunlight
skin singed by the ultraviolet rays
rich and green and lush under the canopy
hopeful hearts and viscous viper vines
red flowers blooming on the forest floor
but you were dark inside

fixed in the current of the undertow
held under to drown delightfully
brow beaten and weary bones withered
salty seawater and coral colored conundrums
veins pumping warm blood through warmer bodies
but you felt cool to the touch

gorged on the fruits of your love
plump bellies full of sweet lies
half comatose in awakened anger
telling truths and infinite inciting indecisions
beasts of burden finally coming to light
but you lied from the start

amazed at the loneliness of after
loves of past wandering hallways
phantoms ******* with light switches
lovely longing and ghastly ghost grievances
vaguely haunted in the aftermath
but you died so long ago