You were a prickly one What I loved about you was your stubborn refusal To give the world anything it didn’t pry from your hands Your name Your story Your dreams My best friend asked you what your life was like And you looked him dead in the  eyes And said “No.” I still laugh about it, because he’d never met someone Even stingier than he was To those who didn’t know you You were cold and rude To me You were loyal, warm, resilient I looked (up) at you And from the day I first met you I thought “hot damn. HOT damn.” Which, I think you slowly figured out, is not something I think often I think hunting you down on facebook without even talking to you first And not my flaming red cheeks Gave me away, though I could only describe us As the WORST rom-com The guy doesn’t get his sweetheart There’s no tender life turn around Just realizing that I couldn’t watch you Throw your life away piece by piece I miss you. I guess this was your way Of telling life “You can’t fire me. I quit!” But you had every chance To live and to be loved If I could have persuaded you You stubborn, stubborn man Stay with me. Just this once. Stay. Live.