like a heart
but not a heart
there it breaks
in the night
the pain it feels
in a chest
like a heart
heartbreak
words on the page
the pain
in my heart
words on a page
I should not
have read
every time
there is that crack
in my chest
every time
you cross your legs
and hold my gaze
if only you knew
every time
like glass
shattered
tiny pieces
scattered
across the floor
words
breaking promises
in the night
noises in the night
I hear the night
the cat’s trough hums
the candle hisses
someone walks across the floor upstairs
a baby cries
a dog barks
and from inside my chest
there is a crack
then silence fills the air
from Mirage by Christina Rossetti
Lie still, lie still, my breaking heart;
My silent heart, lie still and break:
Life, and the world, and mine own self, are changed
For a dream’s sake.
the sound of your voice
the sound of your voice
that hint of an accent charms
yet how can I listen
and not have my heart crack
knowing you whisper to another
in the night
where I stand
as I stand poised on the edge of heartbreak
your name on the tip of my tongue
there’s no such thing as redemption
and nothing left of pride
a tanka: no easy way
watching from afar
hearts will break in two in three
pieces fall away
there is no easy way out
and staying is harder still
Leonard Durso 