earthbound/stardust

When love is pure, I'm told,

it's something celestial,

transcendental

But what we have is something terrestrial,

gritty as dirt under our nails

and fists full of our own hair

and throats raw from screaming

and souls stripped bare

We're not heavenly bodies

just somebodies

who could maybe make it work with anybody

but nobody wants to put up with our shit,

at least that's how we think,

so we grimace and grind and swallow the grit

saying it'll make us stronger,

thicken our skin

but it's already so thick

we can't let each other in

We pick at each other just to see if we bleed

as if another scar is really what we need

We fight and make up

so we don't have to sleep alone,

two stray dogs who will take a beating

if it means having a home

You are my shelter

and the storm from which I hide,

a paradoxical dysnfunction I can't deny

Cut from different cloths

but we've sewn ourselves together

The stitches are tearing

but we say this is forever

We're only human,

it's like us to be so naive

but I can't start over again

so I have to believe

in us, in love, in earthly, everyday things

In us, I entrust my fragile sanity

Keep it safe

in your hands

like a flightless bird

In your mouth

hold my name

like a sacred word

We may be dirt and ash and dust

but everything on this Earth

was heavenly once.