to the new guy with my old flame

that person that fell into an orbit i never wanted to be jettisoned from

launched into space with a half empty oxygen tank and shattered self esteem

tell her she’s beautiful as often as you can

if you don’t think it everytime you see her that’s on you

goddess knows i did

rub her feet after a long day at work

it helps when she gets that tension headache and needs to lie in the dark as well

when the thunderstorms fill her eyes

just let the rains wash over you

let the lightning strike you

as the the thunder rattles your bones know she doesn’t mean it

but when she spends more time on her phone than looking at you

well, you did your best to take her but some breeds cannot be broken

some just need to feel the freedom of the sun on their skin, someone else’s words in their ears

we are just stardust and she is the jewel we revolve around

even if only for a few moments

savor that time while you can

before your bloodied and discarded body is sucked dry of whatever makes you you and left on the side of the road for the trash men to come pick up

they’ll handle you with care as they swing you back and forth before launching you into the back of the truck with all the others

i’ll see you there

we can reminisce on what we nearly had

if you haven’t been burned by the sun while enjoying a day at the beach

well, you have never truly lived

if you haven’t nearly fallen to your death while scaling a mountain

you never truly tried

sometimes it isn’t the end result

it is about the experience

and once you have swam through the waters filled with barracudas and only lost a few pints of blood

nothing seems quite as scary any longer

or you are just numbed to feel it

that’s what life is

a series of ever escalating near death experiences until it is over

that is what loving her is as well

i knew when i jumped out of the plane i’d forgotten my parachute

but the skies were so lovely

and i felt like i could fly

the ground had other ideas