7 Aug 2020

A Box of Regrets

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