forever feels like home

black birds gathered around her feet,

and the dirty creek water gurgled

when she sat on the bench next to me.

she bit a smile; beautiful, if forced.

and i took her limp hand, she didn't care

when i kissed the eyelid she couldn't open.

the whole of it was that i'd die without her

and i could never get enough of her smile.

when she was gone, where was i to go?

her eyes scanned the water for any signs of life,

and i knew she was looking for a drowning heart

when she pushed my fingers to her chest.

her sunburn made her far more colorful,

and she'd never looked like she was alive

when she sat in the pale of the shade.

the blackbirds cawed and hopped

and ate away at her flesh

when rigor mortis set in.

death isn't meant to be so beautiful

and i felt guilty because it was my fault.

when her eyes glazed over, she looked like crying.

the girl who bit her smiles, i miss her;

and she was beautiful, if unorthodox, broken.

when she smiled, it was beautiful, if forced.