James Mclain Poet Rhyme

What If I Have To Live Again

What if I have to live again—
Reborn in the bone-thin hush of grief,
A jawbone grinding air,
My love trailing like a torn dress through corridors
Of someone else's dreams.

You cheated with a mirror.
I saw you smiling at your double,
Kissing her with the lips you pressed
To my forehead after midnight sobs.
How dare you touch her with my name in your mouth?

I held trauma like a child—
Rocked it, fed it milkless mornings.
It grew teeth. It learned your scent.
Now it prowls the house, breaking teacups
And whispering, “He never loved you.”

Unreturned love is a feathered god—
It flutters near the ceiling fan,
Then drops, headless, to the floor.
You never wrote back. Your silence
Was a continent. I crossed it barefoot.

Each night I waited—candlelit,
A saint in curlers, lipstick bleeding.
Time, the drunk uncle, sat beside me,
Rattling his keys, leering,
Telling me you'd never come home.

The sea was shallow. It mocked me.
I went in to drown but hit my knees.
Even death denied me the depth.
Before I leave this to you—
My wrists, my notebooks, my impossible verbs—

Know this: the trees are dead.
The bushes are brown. The wind
Has given up on speech.
I was blind, yes,
But now I choose to look away.

♡Like0

Share Poem

---

Post Comments

Poetrysoup is an environment of encouragement and growth so only provide specific positive comments that indicate what you appreciate about the poem. Negative comments will result your account being banned.

Please Login to post a comment