once upon a chemical romance
in the beginning
it seemed we swept
each other off our feet
but that was never the case
and only you knew it
you taught me how to
make the finest white lines
to laugh & cry
while making love
most likely followed
by hibiscus tea
& hash-laced brownies
for days on end I’d be left alone
some perishables in the panty
& tepid water on tap
all windows & doors
locked from the outside
as long as you were gone
the medicine cabinet
remained empty
& slowly I would find myself
crawling out of this shell
you selfishly built for me
february two thousand twenty-two
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved