A Poem

To the man who took my heart,

I wish you’d just give it back; 

You could keep it too, I guess that’s ideal

But just don’t pretend that you’re not holding it.

Is it like looking for you keys and realizing they’re in your hand?

Did you forget that my heart’s been part of your collection?

Though my guess is that you’ve built it a shrine,

Out of bubblegum and put it in the back of your closet,

And you only pretend that you forgot it’s yours,

Denying its presence and yet gripping it tightly.

You said another would eventually hold it,

Said I’d be just as happy as I was with you,

Only when you tried to say that you wanted this for me

You couldn’t get out the words.  They clung to your lips

Like joggers running towards a cliff

Teetering at the edge with our future on their backs

And neither you nor they could let go

Because if they fell, we’d fall too.

And we already fell once, 

Out of love would be this leap

And you want us still standing the same ground

In the same city, same home, same life that you loved so much that scares you

And so now you’re leaping, trying to jump alone

Pretending you’ll fly but also

Carrying our future on your back now

So in the crash you can pretend that moving on was an accident.

But until you realize that you’ve tied a chord

Between my heart and yourself; you’ll never fly away

And if you fall, the chord will just bounce you back

To my heart, which has endured the pain

Of you tugging against it as you go to leap,

And pulling you back to brace your fall,

Hoping the rocks of reality won’t crush you.

And perhaps then, you’ll both return, 

Scarred and scared, yet still

I’d rather you stretched my heart into a glider 

And use it get to another island

Than return to me afraid to fly, and broken from your harsh landing.

I have the wings, and you the direction

And we’re lost and left without each other.

You know where I am and where to find me

And still you’re searching for feathers.

So if it doesn’t matter, if my heart’s just collecting dust

If you don’t care that it would die for you

(even for you to be happy with another)

Then just give it back.

I’d rather keep it and help it heal,

But then again, it would just fly back to you anyway.