Obsessed with Love

“i am not ruined. i am ruination.”

“i will strip away all that you know, all that you love, until you have no shelter but mine.”

“beauty was your armor. fragile stuff, all show. but what’s inside you? that’s steel. it’s brave and unbreakable. and it doesn’t need fixing.”

“you might make me a better man.”

“you might make me a monster.”

“why waste my anger on you when the fault is mine? i should have anticipated another betrayal from you.”

“i wanted to see you.”

“there are two thrones on that dais. you could see me any time you liked.”

“i hope you weren’t looking to me to be the voice of reason. i keep to a strict diet of ill-advised enthusiasm and heartfelt regret.”

“not bad looking? he’s damnably handsome.”

“i thought your hobby was preening.”

“don’t let me be alone.”

“despise your heart.”

“i have no heart.”

“in the end, maybe love just meant longing for something impossibly bright and forever out of reach.“

“it’s true. you are stronger, wiser, infinite in experience… but i am an apt pupil.”

“it’s a vow that if i can’t be anything else to you, at least i can be a weapon in your hand.”

“you’re all i’ve ever wanted. you are the whole of my heart.”

“are you going to make a habit of winning arguments? it’s very unbecoming.”

“i had a taste for you, once.”

“you were meant for more than me, and i’ll die fighting to give it to you. but please don’t ask me to pretend it’s easy.”

“it gets dark when i say it does.”

“no matter who or what i was, i would’ve been yours.”

“we all die. not everyone dies for a reason.”

“want to know my secret? i have a lot of money.”

“i’ll be back to fetch you for dinner, but should you grow restless, do feel free to run screaming from the room or take a dagger to her. whatever seems most fitting at the time.”

“for all my talk of vows and honor, what i really want is to put you up against that wall and kiss you until you forget you ever knew another man’s name.”

“you live in a single moment. i live in a thousand.”

“he’s kind when he might have been cruel. it’s refreshing.”

“oh, a dark lake full of something shiny. let me put my hand into it.”

“that fact is well established and adds nothing to the plot.”

“i wanted him to be hard, to be strong. i taught him the lesson my mother and father taught me: to rely on no one. that love – fragile and fickle and raw – was nothing compared to power. he was a brilliant boy. he learned too well.”

“claimed me? like a peninsula?”

“let me. it isn’t real. let me.”

“i’m used to being the center of attention wherever i go. i’ve been told I could charm the shoes off a racehorse midstride, and yet you seem impervious.”

“i make it a policy to never seduce anyone prettier than i am.”

“i wasn’t afraid of you. i was afraid of losing you.”

“you move forward, and when you falter, you get up. and when you can’t, you let us carry you. you let me carry you.”

“you were supposed to be my balance.”

*  POETRY  PROMPTS  BY  AUTHOR  JOHN KEATS ,  FROM  A  VARIETY  OF  POEMS .

‘ Forget their tea — forget their appetite. ‘

‘ The fire is going out and no one rings. ‘

‘ There’s a large cauliflower in each candle. ‘

‘ Where may your tailor live?  ‘

‘ Shed no tear! oh, shed no tear! ‘

‘ The flower will bloom another year. ‘

‘ Dry your eyes! oh, dry your eyes! ‘

‘ Overhead! look overhead! ‘

‘ Look up, look up! I flutter now. ‘

‘ These blossoms snow upon thy lady’s pall! ‘

‘ A kiss should bud upon the tree of love. ‘

‘ Pleasure never is at home. ‘

‘ Open wide the mind’s cage-door. ‘

‘ When the Night doth meet the Noon. ‘

‘ Where’s the cheek that doth not fade, too  much gaz’d at? ‘

‘ Whose lip mature is ever new? ‘

‘ Where’s the eye, however blue, doth not weary?  ‘

‘ Of secrecy, the violet: what strange powers. ‘

‘ Hast thou, as a mere shadow! ‘

‘ When in an Eye thou art alive with fate! ‘

‘ Where—where slept thine ire? ‘

‘ Or was I a worm—too low crawling for death?  ‘

‘ Why was I not crush’d—such a pitiful germ? ‘

‘ O why didst thou pity, and beg for a worm? ‘

‘ Alone and palely loitering? ‘

‘ So haggard and so woe-begone? ‘

‘ I cry your mercy—pity—love!—ay, love! ‘

‘ Losing its gust, and my ambition blind! ‘

‘ O! let me have thee whole,—all—all—be mine! ‘

‘ Spirit here that reignest! Spirit here that mourneth!  ‘

‘ O breathe a word or two of fire! ‘

‘ Ah! ken ye what I met the day! ‘

‘ Blue! ‘Tis the life of heaven,–the domain ‘

‘ Hush, hush! tread softly! hush, hush, my dear! ‘

‘ All the house is asleep, but we know very well. ‘

‘ Tho’ you’ve padded his night-cap — O sweet {name}!   ‘

‘ For less than a nothing the jealous can hear. ’

‘ No leaf doth tremble, no ripple is there on the river.  ‘

‘ But my {name}’s eyes, and her lips pulp’d with bloom. ‘

‘ Lift the latch! ah gently! ah tenderly — sweet! ‘

‘ We are dead if that latchet gives one little clink! ‘

‘ While I kiss to the melody, aching all through! ‘

‘ Away with old hock and madeira! ‘

‘ There’s a beverage brighter and clearer! ‘

‘ Hither, hither, love! Let us feed and feed! ‘

‘ Leaving great verse unto a little clan? ‘

“Stop squirming, I’m trying to help.”

“Hang on, I got you.”

“Just lean on me, I’ll help you walk.”

“We should get that looked at.”

“Don’t tilt your head back, you’ll make your nosebleed worse!”

“Just sit up and breathe, ok?”

“Eh, you’ll be fine. I think. Maybe.”

“What ever you do, don’t go to sleep. Stay awake.”

“Oooooo. That looks painful.”

“Oh, thank God! Don’t scare me like that!”

“How the hell did you do this to yourself?”

“Hey, hey, stay with me, ok?”

“You stopped breathing.”

“Oh look, it’s alive.”

“Take deep breaths, you’ll be fine.”

“Arms shouldn’t move like that…”

“What happened to your leg?!”

“Yep, that’s broken alright. How’d you manage that?”

“Here’s some ice.”

“You’re welcome, by the way.”

“Do you need an ice pack for that shiner?”

“Yeesh, you look like shit.”

“Wait, you were mugged?!”

“Is that a stab/gunshot wound?”

“Ok, ew. I’m not cleaning that up.”

“Easy, easy! Just lay down, you hit your head.”

“You probably have a concussion, so I wouldn’t be moving arou d too much if I were you.”

“We thought you were dead!”

“On a scale of 1 to 10, how much does it hurt?”

“Can you walk on your own?”

“You’re getting blood on my clothes!”

“Oh… Oh shit, I’m so sorry.”

“I did NOT mean to fall on you.”

“Picked the wrong day to get stuck in here, huh?”

“It’s great to finally meet you.”

“Oh, sorry, didn’t notice you there.”

“Hey I- Oh, wrong person.”

“H-Hi…”

“Woah, your eyes are really beautiful.”

“Can you help me reach something?”

“Well… This is an odd way to meet new people.”

“MARCO!”

“Do you have a -object- I could borrow?”

“I hate to be a bother, but —-”

“You seemed to have dropped this.”

“I think I’ve heard of you.”

“Mind if I buy you a drink?”

“Do you mind helping me for like two seconds?”

“Oh, that’s extremely kind of you.”

“Did that hit you?!”

“Aye, leave ‘em alone.”

“Screw off.”

“Hello?”

“I think you know —, I’m —.”

“That’s pretty neat.”

‘ are you bleeding? ’

‘ take it easy. you hit your head. ’

‘ where does it hurt? ’ 

‘ sit still and let me take a look! ’

‘ how did you get that black eye? ’ 

‘ you should see the other guy. ’ 

‘ did i say you could get out of bed? ’

‘ that’s going to leave a bruise. ’

‘ i’ll get some ice. ’ 

‘ that’s what you get for picking fights. ’

‘ are you trying to give me a heart attack? ’

‘ what’s wrong with you? ’

‘ you can barely stand. ’

‘ did you throw the first punch? ’

‘ that’s a nasty bump. ’

‘ get in the car. you’re going to the hospital. ’

‘ at least bandage it. ’ 

‘ no, you’ll get an infection. ’ 

‘ wet floor signs are there for a reason, you know. ’

‘ you’re lucky. that icicle could’ve killed you. ’

‘ where’s your gratitude? i rescued you! ’

‘ i’m calling the nurse. ’

‘ was that stupid dare worth it? ’

‘ what happened to you? ’

‘ sit down. i’ll make some hot chocolate and fix you right up. ’

‘ are those bandages? ’

‘ you need stitches. ’

‘ look out for that tree branch. ’

‘ i’ve got you. just stay awake. can you do that for me? ’

‘ lean on me. ’

‘ you got two choices: let me carry you, or die out here. take your pick. ’

‘ shit, you’re burning up. ’  

‘ you’re not dying. it’s only a sprained ankle. ’

‘ lie down. ’

‘ i’m sorry. i know it hurts. here, hold my hand. ’

‘ you’re in no condition to be walking around. ’

‘ wake up! wake up! ’

‘ i don’t feel sorry for you. ’