The Rose That Grew Under Water

The Rose That Grew Under Water

The rose that grew under the water

in a lake made from my tears

of losing you

not to death

not to distance

just to silence.

It was neither alive nor dead

like my heart

still beating

to survive.

You sit across from me

but your eyes land somewhere else

your mouth moves

but nothing touches me

We haven’t broken

we’ve just stopped

day by day

cutting each other out

without saying a word

I watch the shape of us

change in small ways

less kindness

less reach

less return

And all the while

the rose stays under

not drifting

not rising

just held there

by everything we can fix