poetry

June 9, 2021

You didn’t love me well

 

you didn’t love me well
you couldn’t
you didn’t know how
because the love you knew
was covered in dust
dirty footprints walking away
they never wanted to stay or say
I’ll help you clean it up
when they were the one
who tracked in the mud

you didn’t love me well
you couldn’t
you didn’t know how
because the love you knew
drew lines in the dirt
this is as far as you can go
no more
too much
but still not enough

you didn’t love me well
you couldn’t
you didn’t know how
because the love you knew left bruises you couldn’t see
cunning tongues are good at hiding

you didn’t love me well
you couldn’t
you didn’t know how to love yourself

I didn’t love you well
I couldn’t
I didn’t know how
because the love I knew
was covered in dust
dirty footprints walking away
they never wanted to stay or say
I’ll help you clean it up
when they were the one
who tracked in the mud

I didn’t love you well
I couldn’t
I didn’t know how
because the love I knew
drew lines in the dirt
this is as far as you can go
no more
too much
but still not enough

I didn’t love you well
I couldn’t
I didn’t know how
because the love I knew left bruises you couldn’t see
cunning tongues are good at hiding

I didn’t love you well
I couldn’t
I didn’t know how to love me

*cycle

from my third poetry book, Made of Earth.