With crisp mornings
come cooler evenings
and an unwelcome adieu
to the partner of my dreams
the only one who wraps me in warmth
an iridescent glow, a confidence
some only get after a few spirits

I'll miss her fondly
and the levity she brings
with each comforting breeze
gently brushing aside
yesterday's worries

In the rear view mirror
the Blue Ridge Mountains
blend in with the sky
sharp edges
hardly discernible
in the monochrome
along with a version of me
I unknowingly left behind

Pinch me
Fold me
Make me scream
Use me
Choose me
Let me dream
Bite me
Fight me
Let me bleed
Cloak me with your cool breath
Tell me you want me
Make me plead
Hurt me
Hold me
Whatever you need
As long as it reminds me
What it's like to feel

All stories
no substance
What were we
but in a trance
Was it even real
or were we Peter Panned?

Eyelid kisses
Buried intuition
Beneath warm fuzzy feelings
Fooled me for two years

I know I shouldn't do it
but short term pleasure
always seems to win
over long term pain
Though I’ve been burned before
scars as a reminder
the heat of the moment
pulls me back in
to your body as we play with fire
through the early morning hours

And suddenly
The leaves are back on the trees
Reminding me that nature rebounds
Faster than I can heal