Skybound Sweethearts

you love a flighty girl
whose eyes can't decide
what color to be,
whose hair is just a
little too frizzy,
whose smile could
carry you far, far away,
and your arms make her feel
safe, but
even you can't protect her
from the demons
inside.

the ones who
hunt and haunt, who
wish and want, who
ply and plead and
fill her with a
hard-to-define need

the sort that doesn't drive her, no but
keeps her pinned down by the throat,
chokes breath and life and passion and
wonder and will and she wants to keep still
but can't.
wants to do well
but won't.
wants to be brave, but
we don't
have time for dreamers,
do we?
no.

(you love a flighty girl who can't be bothered to stand up and turn off her light at night,who, when she finally reunites with her pillow, feels at home - and considers never leaving again, who dreams of monsters and demons and devils and feels complete. who would rather do nothing and never try than take the leap and have her heart broken. again.)

sing to her and she might sing back
but when you start to harmonize
she'll lose her voice and
just listen.

and honey, this isn't easy to write because it's honest, but, y'know,
she does love you,
and that scares her
because

she feels like a thousand eyes
are on her back and
the seven continents are
balanced on her fingertips and
if she flinches she'll lose it all,
everything, and that includes you.
so please
when you ask her how her day was
and she doesn't respond, ask again.
and don't always believe her when she says,
"fine".

you love a flighty girl
whose wings are tattered,
who lips are slightly bruised,
who can't stop trembling.

but she loves you, and
she hopes that's enough.