I have hurt you, this much is true.
I made you feel each shade of blue,
Midnight, lapis, turquoise, navy,
It breaks my heart I failed you, baby.

The one I swore I’d always shield,
Now lies alone in pain I sealed.
The grass is green, the skies still bright,
But in my chest, a frost takes flight.

To know the ache that haunts your days
Turns all my pride to ash and haze.
It folds me down, it brings me low,
A kneeling soul with nowhere to go.

In the dirt,
The pain,
The hurt,
I’ll rise again, if you’ll allow.
I won’t give up, not then, not now.
I’ll stitch the breaks, I’ll bear the strain,
And never rest
‘till we mend this pain.

Tiny hands reaching for mine,
Tears staining my shirt,
64 colors of the rainbow, spilled dreams on paper,
Steady breathing while sleeping,
Kicking feet under bedtime blankets,
Big eyes full of why and wonder,
A bashful smile I’d give anything to protect.
My sweetest girl, my Moonbeam.

Dark eyes,
Dark hair,
Lace like shadows, skin laid bare.
Pale as moonlight on the snow,
Lips that beckon, pull, then go.
Fingernails trace a burning line,
Pain and pleasure intertwine.
Your breath is thunder in my ear,
A whisper deep, too close to fear.
A glance, a sway, your wicked art,
You steal my breath, then take my heart.
So come, you devil dressed in silk,
I'll drown for one more taste of milk.

It isn’t a recipe you can follow.
It isn’t a list of actions,
a choreographed dance.
Love is the wind through wind chimes,
the sunlight reflecting in eyes.
Love is the soft call of a morning bird,
cold feet and warm hands,
the aroma drifting from a bakery,
a hand on your back, tracing circles.

Love is a jagged stone,
once rough, now smooth.

I cannot explain love,
but I know it when I look in your eyes.

I hope the words we whisper to one another
carry on the wind like a gentle song.
Lend an ear to the earth, and you'll hear
my heart that beats for you.

Gentle drips of water from mossy rocks,
telling you how much you mean to me.
The creaking trees, swaying in the wind,
implore you to listen.

If my voice fades,
let nature finish the verse.

If we come back to one another,
may we find the peace we missed out on as kids.
May we find the safety and connection that was lacking.
May we never cease to try,
to speak, to listen, to love one another.
May we bear our souls, gently, without fear.

If we come back,
may we see the kindness we embody.
May we hold each other tenderly.
May our wounds not be gone,
but turned to scars,
proof that we’ve healed, even if we haven’t forgotten.
May our expressions soften,
our edges wear down with time and care.

When I was young,
I thought love was the willingness to die for someone.
Now I know
it is the willingness to live,
to stay, even when it’s uncertain,
even without guarantees.
Even when I don't believe I'm worth it,
for you,
I will try.

You threaded the needle to stitch my broken heart.
You pressed salve into wounds I dared not show.
You wrapped gauze around the blood I couldn’t stop.
You held my hand as I cried through the ache.

You kissed each bruise like a whispered promise,
Tender in your tending, patient in your care.
With your strength, I found my footing,
Together, we walked, side by side.

As you took to my wounds, I embraced yours:
A shaky hand, a trembling breath.
You welcomed the kindness, for a time,
Held my flaws,
Heard my pleas,
Rested in my presence.

But the salves began to drip,
Truth slipping through the seams.
The gauze frayed, falling to the floor,
Pain flaring where healing had begun.

The thread unraveled, stitch by stitch.
I turned to reach for you,
But your hands were busy
Mending someone else.

If only my wounds had mended
Before you treated me.

I’ll rub dirt in it next time.