She has claimed every part of me

From my heart to its vessels.

Everything about her commands attention

From the way air bows under her feet

To the way I write her name in bold

To the volume at which 

she yells at me.

My veins will still run across my face

When she demands that I am hers

Reminds me with the kiss of her palm to my cheek.

I am clumsier with my words, 

but the way it stings, 

it seems like she knows 

what she is doing.

I let her lead me in our little dance

Hand to face, palms to chest

Stepping with your left foot, then back again

You have hands like your brother and your father

But your arms are still yours

When you wrap them around me 

And you constrict me into your chest

Promise you only got impatient

And won’t do it again

Your chest is cold when I press my face into it

And I hope, for a moment, 

That you will.

When I speak of you, my tongue runs dry

But I will still shield you

From what you know you are

So others can see you like I always have 

Kind, like I had first met you 

With a kiss to the palm

A smile that hurt to look at.

And I will lie about the purple on my skin

And I will ignore the red in my heart

And all my nails are different sizes

I promise under strained breath,

“but I’ll keep breaking them off for you.”

--For there is no greater sin in life

Than the taste of cherry wine.