Memory bubbles
burst like bullets
deafening impact
a physical blow
Oh, tangy sweetness
a time half forgotten
a drop of water
in the desert
Gnawing deprivation
moments that intensify
the awareness of need
thirst unquenched
A heart that’s parched
a decade’s drought
doomed to wait for rain
indefinitely
A love affair
of licking wounds
the stinging satisfaction
of looking back
It’s a lot
like drowning
this desperation
of mine
I’ve read about
people drowning
that nearly end up
drowning the person
who tries to save them
it seemed strange to me
at the time
but now I get it
that’s how I’ve been
my whole life
now I understand
why people shy away
and why I can’t help
but keep reaching
It’s the hope that kills you, you know that? It lingers there every day. Makes you think she could just reappear.
Ed James, Worth Killing For
It’s the hope that kills you
held breath heartbeats
that burst and break you
that force you to your knees
It’s the hope that kills you
the sharp rise and heavy fall
repeated pain of the rug
pulled out from under you
It’s the hope that kills you
the velocity of disappointment
as another day evaporates
another glance at an empty door
It’s the hope that kills you
but it’s all you have left
the willingness to die a thousand deaths
if that’s what it means to not give up
Protect the Innocent 