after so longstill meanderingclimbing stars andnavigating the Milky WayI sometimes spy youplaying hopscotchacross my sky

you can’t help but wonder at the way he kisses – too tender, as if he isn’t certain he’s allowed, let alone desired – you catch your breath, fight for air; the night weighs heavy – his kisses are almost as light as the touch of his fingers (raindrops, sliding) – what a time to remember ‘the prophet’ – ...

there have been other 24sas there will be more 24s yet every 24 is of youfor you, always and forever only you -carved into my skin, burnedinto mybrain,you,24/2.

if we take away the slangof this internet romancewhat will we be left with?we can sit and debatehow to spell it:mwah, mmwah, or mwaah –surely it must be dealt with

it can’t last, surely, this much bliss?I want you to always look at me like this.

sometimes I wake up at 3 a.m.and my longing for you is so intense it feels like I’ve walked into a wall of fire I didn’t know existed and I burn

when my Grandfather – the Anglophile – was alive,I learned to eat (confidently)with cutleryand when my Mother – the Anglophobe – finally arrived,I learned to eat (awkwardly)with my fingersbut with you – what were you?– I learnt to carve (myself);not even all 10 fingerscould close the wounds

if you refuse to kiss mebecause I write about:other kisses andother people andother memoriesyou should leave nowwhile there is still love.

I don’t play hard to get: I cannot be gotten I will not be owned I belong to myself. but there are times when: you breathe me in and hold me close and then, only then, I am entirely yours.

why are peopleso reasonablein love?

it is never enoughthat you love melove is never enough

the need to be in-lovedsometimes outweighsthe need to beloved

you kiss ever so softly;like the drawing ofsilk across the skin,or the softest touchof butterfly wings.

you never left me without kissing me, no, not oncenot even when we belonged (somewhat) to them, nonot even then

do you rememberhow I could never say goodbye once?you had to returnand kiss me twiceevery single time

II smile on streets, thinking about you, andpeople, they think I am mad.IIif you kiss me,I may kiss you back,together we can be madder.IIIwe should dance,swirling tumbling gladness,descend further into madness.

you weren’t here to trace the outline of my tattoo and touch your lips to its lines he was; he did.

1. We kiss differently 2. You make it hard for me to breathe 3. I breathe easier when I am with you 4. You have the softest, softest hands5. Our ghosts don’t get along6. I’m not one for surprises7. Your tenderness8. The way your fingers slow dance on my skin9. I don’t see your name written on the moon10. You ...

I shouldn’t have worn the same pair of shoes on the day I met you – they only made me leave you too

you remind me too much of him that kind of thing simply won’t do