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.