You were like
a garden in my
lungs
that took root
and flourished,
but when you
decided to leave,
you were rooted
so deeply in me
that you took my
lungs with you
and I haven’t
been able to
breathe since.

You were a fire in my heart.
You blazed
fiercely,
vibrantly,
passionately.
My skin, my skeleton, my body
burned
slowly,
painfully,
tragically,
and you watched me disintegrate.

You know the feeling
in your stomach when
something hurts you
so deeply
emotionally,
the feeling in your
chest …
It’s like butterflies,
but no, it’s not lovely.
It’s like a swarm of
wasps and you can’t
swallow because the
sting is too painful to
bare.
That is what it feels
like to love
and be unloved.
That is unrequited love.