Is
-
Is
It is, and because it is and because you were I can hear the sound of you, the sound of myself
The sound you could never make in front of anyone else, the sound
No one else ever heard, the sound you never knew I could hear, never knew I cared enough to listen for, the sound of
Sobbing, crying, desperate, lonely, cold was what it was, I knew, and it was because of
The world you knew, you knew
More than I, more about the world of glamour, more about yourself, more about
Everything that meant anything
To anyone
-
It is
I am because
You were
Because all that I am is you
And all that I never was is you
Because you, your radiance, my gentle admiration
Never diminished, only grew stronger with the passing of time
Stronger as I watched you bounce from lover to lover
As certain as I was in following your footsteps I
Knew I couldn't follow in your path, I
Knew what you were, and knew what I am and
I didn't want the men who destroyed you
Only you
So it was
-
Is
It is and
So it is and
It is because you are
And because you needed a left because you were always right
About everything, and I
Needed a right because I was left
Alone
Cold and shivering and I should have told you, should have
Told you about me and you and I and
Everything and about how I wanted you, wanted to kiss you somewhere, anywhere, everywhere and
Cradle you and hold you until I knew you couldn't escape, wouldn't escape, because I was afraid
Afraid you would leave, so I
Wanted to be with you, and feel your warm breath and make love to you until
You knew that it is, that it always was, that I did, that I always did, that it was, that it always was
It is
Is
-
It is, it is
It is and it is not,
The proof of your pain, the melancholy in your
High-end, low-key apartment with all your bitter sadness hidden
Under the rug and in your heart and in the cabinets, the
Proof of your suffering, one hundred fold, one hundred percent, one hundred empty glass bottles
Rattling around on the floor and in your head and on the counter next to your car keys and
Watching you all night
Asleep, watching you wake up in a pool of your own tears, I
Told you as a friend
Only a friend
To stop, to stop, stop, stop, even if I never knew how to stop anything myself
Even if I kept falling into different traps the same way
Even if I never was that strong myself
Even if it wasn't
Even if it is
-
But I feel, I feel that it is
It is
I was
You were
I wanted it to be
You didn't know you were
Not only a mentor
Not just a friend, not just a crutch, not just a smile and a few kind words, you were
More, always more, more than I could ever be, and because you could not, I live
I live on
I am
It is, I wanted, because I want, because it was, because I wanted to save you from
Yourself, your greatest enemy, my truest friend and my only admiration, and I was
I was
I wanted to, wanted to save you, give you your life even if you were already dead, even if
They killed you long before they killed each other for their foolish pride, a whip to the face,
Pride I wanted to have so badly I played their game and
Broke their rules and killed my pride and invited a whip to lash me in my dreams, but
I wanted to tell you that I was so proud of you and
I am strong because of you and because you never knew, and
You told me to be free and
I could have told you what you meant to me, what I wanted to say, even though it was
Wrong and
Not right and
A feeling you might have
Cast away or maybe you never had because
Maybe you could really never feel that way about
Another woman
But I am, I am a
Cast away, and I couldn't, I couldn't, I
Can't cast those feelings away so easily
I can't
I'm not
-
It can't be denied
It isn't
I can't
I want to, but
I can't
It isn't
I'm sorry, but
There will be others around me, men and
Women alike, everyone in my world, and there will be others who smell like
Cinnamon and the subtle smell of lavender and rose perfume and candles remind me again and again of
Movie screens we saw together and
The subtle swish of your dress and that department store you took me shopping and
All the things you were, and
All the things I never was, and
All the things I wanted to have with me forever
I know
But I can't
It isn't
And I march on, strong, relieved, smiling, rebuilding my life and I must
Move on, and forget, and search, and smile like you did for me and
Smile so hard my glasses fall off because you never wore glasses anyway and
I want to pretend so badly that I am no longer the same me
And I am you, and you are still around, and
That is because as much as I don't want to believe, it is, it is goodbye, it is, it
Is, this is
You aren't
You were
But it is
It still is
I know it
Is
