look, now I thought I left it all behind
breathing in ghosts of promises and engraving them on lonely beating hearts
swallowing them whole to kindle the fire
on my cheeks
dancing on the tightrope of morality before
my cells attack their brethren
but while frolicking in classroom walls
pounding with life
you grabbed my arm
elfin ears and crooked grin as if you
were in a bold oil painting slashes
of color among muted grays
oh, we were like ships at sea
calcium bones crackling under the
slightest pressure
your fingers gripping too harshly when we
threaded our way through the city streets
bruises, watercolor flowers, blooming
on my forearm from you
impromptu a cappella concerts at three a.m. screeching with laughter
and though sometimes I think I could drift away in the rippling cacophony
your hand at my wrist an iron anchor
I look at the colors like rust caressing my arm
and think if I wilted away my flesh shriveling
like a raisin I would
love nothing more than to do it by your side
we can strike the glass marble and aim it
at a universe far away
and those Newton’s cradles will clatter
like dominoes one by one
colorful dots and rouge lines flaking off
under your translucent eyes
but before I go
tell me if those gleaming smiles like grimaces
spider-web cracks caressing your cheeks?
You can set the dominoes back upright instead, and roll the marbles back instead
and we can always play again
one last game of broken regrets
look
now