Tyler Rukstales Poet Free verse

I Want to Outlive My Heroes

I was so small, looking up at you as I gripped your 
hand tight.
My eyes like deep sea bioluminescence, yours like a 
nebula. 
Dead and anew.
You were starlight, the sun. Close enough to warm me, 
but impossible to hold. To soothe.
The world was not meant for us
And yet, here we are. 
Mismatched, misshapen, misbehaved.
We peer through the cracks and cut our fingers on the 
edges.
And you, you said you would die young
Snuffed out so fast, in a moment of darkness.
I guess you got what you wanted, then.
I guess you wanted to leave this all behind. 
Instead, you left me
Stuck with your spirit bursting in my chest. 
I am engulfed in this absence, filled with seawater.
Head pounding to the beat of your heartache.
And the tree that watches over you
Stretches to see the sun.
And the dirt blankets you the way your mother 
never could. 
And I hope you found your place in the vast.
But, god, didn’t you ever look up?
Who could ever bear to leave this world?

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Brandy Nicole January 23, 2026 at 5:34 PM ' You were starlight, the sun. Close enough to warm me, but impossible to hold. ' Such a profound thought, one that speaks volumes indeed. Sometimes it is this way, and there's nothing we can do. Just think and linger. Your thoughts are deep and powerful, all at the same time. Curling around every emotion. It's nice to meet you, Tyler. ~ Brandy