i want to scrape away at the surface of our love

jab my fingers into the open wounds just to feel a little more

i’ll say i’m trying to stop the bleeding but really i just want to see you wince, one last time

i’ll pull at the knots of our intertwined hearts
and try mold myself back into your ideal lover

can the five stages of grief be applied to breakups?
or is the b word too juvenile?
maybe i should say separations instead

it makes the pain sound a little more serious

i’m in constant denial of your loss of love for me
like a parent who’s just watched their child bleed out on the pavement
i’ve watched the love drain from your eyes,
seeping into an awaiting gutter

i’ve considered offering up my soul
to have you back
in contemplating whether or not to bargain with the devil
i bargain with myself
i would do anything, i say

you’ve dug so deep i can barely function
all my cuts scab up the way they should
why do you always have to pick at them until they bleed again?