day 338

TO a butterfly losing his wings:

Some moths never eat anything as adults because they don't have mouths. They must live on the energy they stored as caterpillars.

You have a mouth

Lack of appetite can confuse broken stomachs and

empty lungs

but I know you taste air with your toes

You always have

Playing footsies with lovers you confuse for fixed appetites

and I'll worry about her tomorrow

and I'll worry about her tomorrow

and I'll worry about 

being hungry

and I'll worry about confusing moths for

butterflies

and I'll worry about her tomorrow

And you will breathe

and call me crazy

but it's only because I live off of the air you refuse to fly in

I watched you fly over words that made you feel like dying

Watched them slice you

Watched as you dodge hail like bullets

Watched you dance to lyrics you haven't thought of yet

Watched and watched and

watched as you crashed into sinking ghost ships

Moths refuse to fly when they are cold

while butterflies just fly to their death beds

I remember the first time we made love

I am sure I got rid of my still born cocoon

We sipped on black coffee and I tapped my fingertips

on you until our souls grew stale

We loved to free the demons that have been sailing on

ghost ships inside of us

Some nights the moths of your past still haunt me

They come in gangs of shadow puppets

hiding in my closet

Like clothing myself is a way of protection

And we got close

And you came closer

close enough for me to reach

and stroke your body like an 

upright bass

until the symphony orchestra playing for ghost bodies turned

stale with bad notes

I played harp for you

I didn't think I would pluck your wings off like

inspiration spiraling into brick heads

We were always meant to open up like butterflies

Together.

There are nights I lay with you

and I wonder what stopped you from flying.