We gave each other unhealthy coping mechanisms
We gave each other salty bitter egos
We gave each other cynicism, and dark humor
We gave each other trust issues
We gave each other old perfumed sweaters; we wore on cold
lonely nights, then took off and shoved under a pile of clothing, then rummaged
back for before bed time,
We gave each other long nights,
We gave each other eloquence,
We gave each other depth, we drowned in our grief
Don’t give myself back to me, we begged, and so we walked
into other peoples lives, wearing each others faces, speaking each others words
We gave each other uninhibited planets. Parched, and
yearning, we orbited in emptiness
We gave each other codes, words we listened to when nothing
was said
We gave each other the tenacity to stare at a starless sky
and wish
We gave each other time and space but we never truly forgave
We gave each other torn up dreams yellowed at the edges in
the hope that maybe
We gave each other old used up desires rackety and stuck
together with glue
The world, when we parted, conspired to remind us everyday,
at every turn
And for our final gift
A box full of shadowy regrets, we cherish, and believe we deserve.
Listen to an audio recording of the poem: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UimsYXx0GwE
