Before I knew you
I didn’t know it was possible
To drown and be on fire
At the same time

But your love set my heart ablaze
The passion of your kiss like oxygen
To the flame ignited by the warmth of your body
Engulfing my heart in a steamy passion

But at the same time I felt like I was drowning
Gasping for oxygen but choking on water
Calling out your name to have my voice muffled
By the endless sea around me

I should have known from the start
Fire can’t exist within water
The sea was destined
To swallow up our flame as well

The first time your arms wrapped around me
It was like my lost soul finally found a home

The mess inside didn’t intimidate me
I always loved cleaning up souls like yours

Inside the closet I found vanity and greed
Uncertainty and unpredictability
But I decided to stay

I bought lamps to brighten up the rooms
And opened the curtains when they weren’t enough
Determined to see you smile

I thought you were building a home inside of me too
But you were really just pitching a tent

You knew all along you weren’t there to stay
All you wanted was to collect rent from me
Every night in your bedroom

When my lease was up you kicked me out
And I was left more lost than before

I will never waste my time fixing up a house again

I write as a release
A way to find some inner peace
Between long stretches of fake smiles
And lies that never cease

Late nights on my laptop
Are the only way to stop
The negative thoughts and feelings
From flooding my entire being

Poetry is the drain
For the overflowing bathtub of my brain
The little bit of truth that seeps out
About all of my pain

Loops and whorls made with a pen
The only way I can find Zen
Thank God for these words
They’ve saved me yet again