You love him?
No.
Then who do you find in your dreams each night?
Him. Night after night. I let sleep coax me into oblivion because that is where he holds me and whispers the words from my poems.
But you don't love him?
No.
Whose gaze do you meet amidst a crowded room?
His. I feel like I am being pulled relentlessly through a current with no way out but the waterfall at the end. Can you really complain about the bruises when you craved the feel of soft skin against ruthless rocks?
Is that not how the poets describe love?
I wouldn't know.
If you loved him, would you admit it?
Of course. If music played in silences and rain fell from clear shores, I would press kisses to his lips every morning. If bones didn't break and bullet wounds didn't bleed, I would hold him in my arms every night. If dawn didn't loyally turn to dusk and I wasn't the colour of a breaking heart, then I would hand him 'I love you's like I hand myself trembling tragedies.
Is love really so impossible?
Not love, just the idea of it being returned... just the possibility of it not ending in broken bones and bleeding bullet wounds.
And denial is so much better?
Yes. Maybe. He cannot drop my heart if he does not know it is his.
And yet he cannot hold it either.
I suppose.
So you do love him?
No.
Are you lying?
Yes.
❀❀❀❀❀
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Reader insights
Outstanding
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Heartfelt and relatable
The story invoked strong personal emotions
Compelling and original writing
Creative use of language & vocab
Excellent storytelling
Original narrative & well developed characters
Easy to read and follow
Well-structured & engaging content
Comments (7)
The structure, your use of language, the piece in it’s entirety, it’s truly stunning ❤️✨🙏 Wow.
I know Mackenzie's already pointed this line out “If dawn didn't loyally turn to dusk and I wasn't the colour of a breaking heart, then I would hand him 'I love you's like I hand myself trembling tragedies." but holy sh*t, this is stunning! The whole poem, the structure, the gut punch ending - wow, I am in awe.
I enjoyed this captivating poem.
Loved the gut punch at the end... the denial all the way through was so clear and heartwrenching, but having it nailed in at the end was *chef's kiss* great job!! So glad that @Mackenzie Davis brought this to my attention :)
I have to say, I did not love this. Am I lying? Yes, perhaps one of the biggest fibs I've ever told.
😵 Im dumbfounded by how beautiful this is and how gutted I feel after reading it. This interview type structure is genius. It adds a layer of mastery over your words that I crave to read more of. The last question, of course, has that essential punch, but isn’t as surprising given what comes before. The ways you demonstrate the depth of the speaker’s feelings is so magically tragic. “If dawn didn't loyally turn to dusk and I wasn't the colour of a breaking heart, then I would hand him 'I love you's like I hand myself trembling tragedies.“ Holy sh*t. This is stunning. Have you submitted this to a lit magazine?
I loved this! So honest and vulnerable. Really enjoyed some of the visual elements too