Picking petals (I love you, I love you not); a collection of poems

Two years ago I went mad.

That makes it sound like it was a voluntary act, so let me rephrase.

Two years ago, I met you, and you infected me with a madness which I had never felt before, and which I could not name.

Again, this is not entirely true, because you did not do anything wrong. You just happened to meet me.

Either way, I went mad you infected me with a madness my senses got lost as I fell and fell and fell…

I had been comfortable in my seat high up in the clouds.

I had been miserable.

And then you came along, with your beautiful beautiful eyes that I did not know the colour of, for months, until I finally got the courage to look.

I am still falling, free falling through the air, though not as fast as back then, and with a smile on my face rather than obsession in my eyes.

Because I was obsessed.

I could not think.

I could not think.

I could not stop thinking.

I could not eat, I could not sleep, I could not breathe.

Two years ago, I lost my mind, and somewhere since then, I have given up on trying to get it back.

 

xxx

 

Just a quick look

But I accidentally catch your eye

And suddenly my heart doesn’t know

Whether it wants to explode

Or stop completely.

There is a dull pain.

All I can think about

Is that I have to look away

And I don’t want to

 

xxx

 

I fear that

The more I talk

The less you’ll like me

So I don’t say much at all.

 

xxx

 

The most romantic thing you ever did

Was when you took your friend’s cigarette

(the last one)

(Even though you do not smoke)

And offered it to me.

You didn’t hesitate.

I was so in awe of you then

And it broke my heart

Because it wasn’t enough to make me love you.

 

(You never liked when I smoked

but you liked me)

 

xxx

 

I am thinking about your eyes again.

Your eyes, that I don’t even know the colour of

Because I’ve been too distracted by the rest of your face.

So next time I see you

I’ll make sure to look into your eyes

For a second longer than usual.

I’ll make sure I won’t get distracted this time

Not even by the way the sun makes your eyes glow

Or the way your smile lights up your face

Or the little glint in your eye that accompanies your grin…

No.

I won’t get distracted this time.

I will focus.

I will make sure that

The next time I think about your eyes

I’ll know exactly which colour they are.

 

xxx

 

All these feelings have built up

And I am right back where I was;

Writing poetry about you.

I wonder

If I told you I write about you

Would you recognize the poems?

 

xxx

 

It is raining

And all I can think about is us

Getting out of the lake

Shivering

Stealing my friend’s blanket

Sitting side by side

Your skin warming mine

 

xxx

 

Late nights and

Drunken dancing and

Laughing and

Singing and

Accepting cigarettes from estranged friends and

Kissing in the corner of a bar.

And the realization that love cannot be forced

No matter how hard you try

No matter how long you wait

 

xxx

 

Your smile is blinding me so

I close my eyes against the glare

Let me taste it with my lips instead

 

xxx

 

If you jump I jump.

That is the deal.

That is what I tell God

At 3am

When I’m too tired to be awake

But not enough to fall asleep:

If she jumps I jump;

But turn the tables

And the deal still stands.

I won’t jump if you don’t

Because somehow

When I’m with you

Life feels a little more bearable

 

xxx

 

I put my heart in your hands

Now I am empty again.

 

xxx

 

Bracing myself for impact would be foolish.

It is going to hurt either way.

Let me at least enjoy the fall

 

xxx

 

She says “How blessed am I to have memories that I’m nostalgic for”

And I keep thinking

Yes

How lucky am I

To want to travel back in time

Not to change the past

But to relive it

 

xxx

 

Now that I am writing about you

I am scared I will never

Be able to stop.