Fragile Words

Don’t rest your hopes

On me

My shoulders

Are weak

Small

Bones

Barely stitched

Together

From

Years broken

By the bad weather

Of life

Likely to bite

When you’re most bare

And I was there

Out

In the open

Hoping

For the sun

As the frost

Froze

The hope

For help

Before it could escape

My tongue

My limbs

Atrophied

After being still

For so long

Along with my heart

Beats ceased

For me

When he

Seemingly

Had enough

Of my not enough

Of my absentminded

Touch

As though I already

Had given up

And it was clearly

His turn

To do as such

Enough

Enough

Enough

Record skipping

Tripping

Over

The only words

We ever heard

We ever ate

For breakfast

Breaking fast our pact to wait

It out

Give it one more chance

Record skipping

Trips this dance

Uncoordinated

Unplanned

Unable to understand

Language

Turned bitter

As these winter

Words

Wilted

Withered

Spoken from forked tongues

Syllables slithered

Slicker

Than necessary

Wielding weight leaving us

Sedentary

Forget it

I promise

I’ll give up before you

Walk away before you

Talk this way

To warn you

I am worn out

Somewhere there’s a man

Whose stance

Matches

Mine

Eyes lined with pain

Mouth filled

With ways to explain

How sweet

Freedom tastes

And I’ll take

Your hand from this moment forward

But I’m not yet ready

To carry the hopes

You need held

I’m not yet ready

Not yet well 

Strength is only just 

Returning 

To these cells

These nerves

These hurts 

Did their work 

Leaving me expectant 

For the worst

Easy to fall 

Victim to 

The first 

Fleeting 

Need 

To run 

Just as quick 

As it comes

It’s caught

On my tongue

Words 

Which spell 

Us 

Undone 

I’m not 

Ready 

To offer 

Tomorrows 

Together 

Whether 

Or not

My heart disagrees

My shoulders 

Are in fact 

Weak 

I’ll have you 

Tonight 

But promise 

You won’t rest your hopes

On me