yearning like a choke chain,
like a feral animal
chewed off its own back paw
caught in the jaws of a
steel trap
and what you did to me
didn’t hurt any more than
what i did to myself
though,
what did you do,
besides tell the truth,
that you couldn’t love me back?
how could i resent
you for that,
my love?
because i did what
i do best as a hopeful
romantic and self-proclaimed bard
i fell in love
let this yearning make me
into a love-sick fool
only ever a fool for you,
which is a nicer way of saying
i broke my own heart
before you ever even
got the chance to try
and maybe there’s
a certain kindness in that.
holding all this yearning at bay
trying to find a good metaphor
to say i still love you
and not have it sound desperate and sorry
at the same time