Poetry by Matthew Ryan Bees

Edited by Emily Ferguson

Do you know the feeling? 

Of looking at a clear blue sky

And seeing a single cloud

You crack a smile and wrinkle your eyes

The joy of the absurd

Talking to you is like a breath of fresh air

But without you, I feel scared 

The lack of oxygen makes my brain cloudy 

The peaceful pond in my mind disappears

The water has receded and the shore is left bare

The sparks I used to feel cool off

The hot coals dwindle in their warmth

I learned to use chopsticks just to share food with you

Now I can’t eat Panda Express or broccoli beef 

Without the thought of you crossing my mind

I hate to say goodbye but I need to

Every time you say hello, I find myself sinking deeper, falling back into the same routine

The secret pining, awaiting a text, I can’t do it anymore

I’m sorry but I have to leave

And go to a place far away

Abandon these foolish and false hopes

Setting a boundary has always been hard

Maybe one day we will be cool

But until then, I set a rule