To the Better Man

I know you think you've claimed your prize, and I
Wish I could congratulate you on your
Victory. But I know the facts, and my
Heart simply cannot be brought to ignore
The way she quivered when she held me close,
Her pulse racing as those thin arms tried to
Capture desires she could only expose
In those secret silent moments the two
Of us shared. I know that passion frightened
Her. It was the first time she lost control.
Now she's with you, holding back the heightened
Passions she knows you can't stir in her soul.
     She chose you out of cold calculation,
     And that is no cause for celebration.

Embrace

The first time we embraced I couldn't tell
Which was was up. I was delirious
With possibility, hoping like hell
That you were right--this could get serious.
The next time we embraced the planet stopped
Moving just long enough for us to share
A night that you told me couldn't be topped.
I knew what that implied, I didn't care.
The last time we embraced I wanted to
Know why I didn't know and how you could
Keep it from me. Some stupid secret grew
Into proof that you never understood.
     Now you are leaving and I will not chase
     Because I reject your shallow embrace.

Last

Our kisses were like a chemical bond
Building, binding us together on a
Molecular level. It was beyond
Our understanding. Then it was gone, a
Flash of heat followed by separation.
And now what was so close is so obscure,
Like the signal from a distant station,
Buried by static, completely unsure.
I still crave you, and what we used to share.
I know because we still kiss in my dreams.
Building that chemical bond, unaware
That when I wake it will be to my screams.
     Don't wonder how I feel as you review
     The last sonnet I'll ever write for you.

After Good Bye

The power of her absence amazes
Me. I feel it like a vacuum in the
Center of my chest. Like empty gazes
Cast into the abyss. And now when she
Doesn't appear in my dreams all I feel
Is that sick sense that I'm missing something
Important, that I'm not able to deal
With a terrible truth. My ears will ring
With the silence of her voice not speaking
To me. My flesh will freeze from the cold lack
Of her touch. And I'm not even seeking
To fill this void. She's never coming back,
     And no one else could take her place to me
     So part of me will always be empty.

Advice to the Heartbroken Young Woman of Austin Whose Relationship Has Just Come to an End.

I know that you feel sad, but don't succumb
To grief before you face all of your trials.
You have one week before you become chum
For all the the sharks who flash their fang-filled smiles.
These former friends will find when you're alone
At some social function, with flatteries
Like bold bludgeons they'll try to knock you prone
And have their way with you. Their batteries
Can only be recharged with energy
From broken hearts making a compromise,
New blood for incestuous synergy.
They'll strive to touch your heart between your thighs.
     They'll work the angles like you were a square.
     So know what lies before you and beware.

Competitors

I wouldn't really say that we're lovers.
That word misrepresents the thing we share.
No, the term "competitors" best covers
What we are in the heat of our affair.
We face each other like athletes on the
Playing field, prepared to push ourselves to
The very brink of our ability
To come out on top. And so with each new
Encounter our minds flood with endorphins
As breath comes fast and hard. Our skin is flush
And sweat glows from your face as your mouth grins,
Wanting to see who'll be the first to gush.
     Remember, when you play this game with me
     Don't stop until you're screaming "Victory!"

Pet Sounds

I call you 'honey' and you call me 'pet'.
Those soft sweet terms of endearment flowing
From our mouths in whispered tones that have yet
To tire as our affections keep growing.
When passion overwhelms your history
And past heartbreaks seem only to abet
The rough new thing that is our mystery
I'll just ask you to keep calling me 'pet',
Because I'm not entirely sure that
I qualify as human anymore,
Curling up in the spot where you just sat
After I've lapped my shame up off the floor
     So if you hold me, I will be your pup.
     'Cause I love you, and that's pretty fucked up.

Broken In

On an ideal summer day, we laid on
An ideal plain. The soft cool grass tickled
The back of your arm as the clouds were drawn
Into wild figures by our minds. I mulled
Over that moment on the day you left,
Remembering your warm breath on my neck
As I swept broken glass away, bereft
Of understanding. I was a huge wreck
For weeks after, trying to comprehend
Your mind, as though I could somehow change it.
But now I no longer need to pretend
The past can be undone, now I admit
     A true victory, not some token win.
     My heart is not broken, it's broken in.