Not Phantom-inspired at first, but after a re-reading I decided to post it. I guess it's sort of scary that my emotions mirror that of Erik's, but what can I say...
disclaimer: Poem's mine, subject's not.
"Respiration"
So early in the morning,
My body yearns for rest, yet
My mind begs for contact.
So caught up in the emotions
Of so many others, that I forgot
How to react to my own.
Maybe not forgot…pushed
Aside, perhaps. Maybe I
Just don't want to learn
How to deal with these
Overwhelming feelings that
Suffocate, that pull me down
Whenever you come close.
Not love, never love, no,
Never. Love is reserved for
Those far more deserving than
I, those who can stand it.
Not hate, either, though it
Comes close, so close I can
Taste it. I hate the way you
Make me feel, powerless to
Stop it, to stem the flow that
Is unwanted, yet cultivates
Within me. And the same
Sphere that begs for rest is
Solely responsible, while mind
And soul wage internal war
'Gainst the forces of Darkness.
I know it's wrong to want you so
Incredibly, so fiercely, but I am
Unable to fight it, unwilling to
Succumb. I look at you and see
Anything but ideal, but I look and,
For a moment, I forgot to breathe.