If You’ve Ever Felt Slighted in Love

I was fifteen feet behind you
at the walk
The buoyancy of your head
and its tendency to swim
in the current of
my sightline stream

I saw you hand-in-hand with he
whom I’ve taken
under covers
Came up for air, only
partially alive
I got quiet,
She noticed

I called out to you
in my head
but I
hadn’t been thinking loud enough
since the most
I felt from you
was the bitter air
given off
by the glacier on
your shoulder

I realize now
my mistake:
I dug my teeth into
your neck
deep, but not deep enough
Drawing blood, but not
enough
Your eyes went dark
but the blue
came back

The blue came
back

I couldn’t coax you
to my side
of the universe
Not even by wolves
dragging you by
your apprehension

You wouldn’t budge

I took little
bites
out of your heart
Replaced the void
with bits of
my own
But the science
wasn’t right
algorithm incorrect

Now you’re in photos
Happy
crow’s feet
Two men who
took me from within
Left me wilted
without
to grow into their own

Together