1

i left
a bonsai 
behind
my old self
also died

2

unwashed sheets
unwashed clothes
unwashed hair
the stench of living
with yourself

3

polish flakes
off my nails
like an old house
I’m ready for
a new coat of paint

4

the gift
meticulously picked
just for you
my love language
unappreciated

5

i dance
around you
tip toe tip toe
until we both
Fall

6

red velvet
coffee & cake
sweet sips
as we discuss
the end of us

7

skipping away 
from the job fair
application in hand
my email dings,
unfortunately . . .

8

the high heeled shoes
leave blisters
on my feet
womanhood
shouldn't hurt

9

a path through
the shaded woods
a raven finds
every bread crumb
left behind

10

sunken eyes
I ask myself
is it worth
losing any more sleep
over you?

11

silently staring
from across the room
late night confessions
forgotten in the uniform of daylight.
what am I to you?

12

keep it simple
short and sweet
I even give you a list
and you still go
fuck it up

13

the soft beard
of an iris bloom
don’t you
want to touch
it too?

14

a cold bench
wrought iron craftsmanship
a perfect place
to tell me
“It’s over”

15

no holy book
or feathered prude
to comfort me
just a gravestone or two
to keep me cozy

16

too ill to party,
I wash
my pills
down
with prosecco

17

heart shape
on my ring finger
a graduation gift
from the grandmother
no one likes

18

presenting myself
in the same fashion
as the others
always
the odd man out

19

sitting around
the dinner table
tears of joy welling up
while our food
is getting cold

20

your smile, my smile
our pinkies intertwined
forget me not
the flower
in my daydream

21

chalk smears across paper
dirty fingers
tracing
where they wish
they could still touch you