the transition from selfish to selfless came when i discovered i would do anything for you to end each day with the reassurance that you matter. you are as strong as the walls that make this house a home and i am merely the soft creak of a screen door you refuse to close. so cradle me like an infant and promise not to fix me, i’ve got too much pride to admit that i’m broken.
when i was 16 i opened up to a man in a white coat and all he gave me was a pat on the back and a note i still keep in my drawer. scribbled on the back are the words of encouragement i gave to myself when i got home, it says “you’re stronger than this”.
it’s so freeing to live life, compile lists and burn them, to make conversation with a complete stranger. still, if life’s an uphill climb i’d rather rest halfway than die when i reach the top. now the flowers we’re lying on are a reminder that says every breath is precious even if it hurts, and together we discovered irony.
you’re nothing but an old soul
i’m yelling uncle from a choke hold
and before i blacked out i thought of tongues
and i wondered if, before you left, you thought of us
but mostly tongues.