Submit your work, meet writers and drop the ads. Become a member
 
 Jan 2015 ruby stains
the Sandman
I punctuate with close precision,
aware of where
I'm placing my semi-colons and
dashes,
using Oxford commas
like a grammar geek.

Your punctuation always bothers me
but you, with your misplaced apostrophes
and oddly abbreviated words
that you cradle in speech marks,
never care.

You were constantly callous in your conduct,
your handling of punctuation marks.
I assumed you never understood
the significance I attached to your words.

I could feel the excitement
and anxiety and apprehension
build in my belly every time
with your exclamation points!

I could feel my brows furrow together
deep in confusion,
every time you sent me just
one little question mark?

I suppose I never did tell you this
but when last month you ended your sentence
(accidentally, of course) with a dash,
well, I knew then that we’d be for ever.

and when last week you sent me
a comma to end your speech
I knew for certain that
more was to come.

but I see now it was silly
to attach such hope to a hyphen
because yesterday you concluded
with the biggest full stop I've ever seen
and let me know that that was all.

I felt that period’s punch
deep inside my gut
like you were trying to make me
throw up my jam and toast.

I had never before known
one small,
simple
dot
to be so powerful
and hurt so much.

It did though,
and you couldn't even tell-
 Jan 2015 ruby stains
Devon Webb
I turn my heart
upside-down
for you,
shaking it
out and allowing
the contents to
clatter
to the ground
where they remain,
lain out around
your feet
because you have
no need
for the little pieces
of me
and so I stay

incomplete.
Unfinished but hey
I like the way his arms tighten around my waist,
and when his breathe comes down in soft puffs
around my neck,
I like when his fingers find mine,
or when he cups my face
and brushes his lips so lightly;
against my own,
that I feel like he isn't real
He pokes at my side,
and makes me squeal with laughter so genuine,
I can't believe it's mine
He guides me to a house,
the lights are on
and music is blaring,
I pour an unfamiliar substance;
down my throat,
and then another,
and another
Until I grab onto a hand and giggle,
when they touch me,
But my breathes get shallow
as they connect their too plump lips,
onto my cracked lips;
Because they aren't his,
and they don't cup my face with their calloused hands,
So I push them off and run,
I run into the forest and see shadows around me,
Their hands find my neck,
and I struggle to breath,
Through my eyes I see black dots,
and then I see liquid,
It's just water
But it's not,
and there was no him,
and there was no house,
and no too plump lips,
there is just me,
Sitting up in bed,
rubbing at my eyes,
hearing the screams and shatters of glass downstairs,
and I wonder if it would ever be,
 Dec 2014 ruby stains
Devon Webb
I had to look up
the word
'dating'
on Urban Dictionary
because I didn't know
what we were,
what we are.

And it said things like
'a socially acceptable
form of prostitution' and
'feelings of
puppy love that usually
dissolve
in a few weeks'.

But this is
not
puppy love.
This is not going to
dissolve or
fizzle out or
whatever,
you're not a
fizzle
you're a *******
fireworks display.

And you turn
everything in my head
into this
multi-coloured
turbulence and
I can't keep up with
how much I
adore you.

But the thing is
I don't know
if your view
is as good as mine.
What if you're
looking at something
a little less
beautiful.

What if I'm your
fizzle.

What if I'm as
temporary
as the flame you use
to light the
cigarettes
you find more
addictive
than my touch.

If that's the case
I'd rather
I left you
craving.

Because
if I'm your flame
you're my
forest fire
and you're burning
it all down until
the only thing left
standing is
you.

And I'll walk for
miles across this
carpet of ashes
just to feel the
softness of your skin
against mine.

And I'll cough
and I'll splutter
on toxic smoke
but you'll just
breathe it in because
you never realised anything
was even
lost.

You don't see me
crawl
you just know that
I'm here,
I'm here
I made it
I'm yours
I'll always be yours
because there's
nothing else
left.

And maybe
I can be
content with that
if only
you will see
that
you could burn down
everything
and I still
wouldn't put you
out.
 Dec 2014 ruby stains
Devon Webb
If you told me
you cared
I wouldn't
believe you.
 Dec 2014 ruby stains
Devon Webb
I keep
forgetting to
forget you,
neglecting to
regret you.
 Dec 2014 ruby stains
Devon Webb
We are critical.

We find flaws in
everything we see
because nobody
wants to write
about perfection,
even though sometimes
we wish we could just stay
staring into that
unblemished surface.

2. We are never satisfied.

We live our lives upon
mountains of
scrunched up
bits of refill and
ideas we gave up
trying to
express.

3. We never forget.

We write words about
eye contact made
three months ago
that we replay over
and over in our minds
even though it
stopped
being relevant.

4. We are fickle.**

Our emotions flash
from one
to the other
like strobe lighting that
disorientates us
until we feel as if
the world
will never be still.

5. We are exposed.

We don't know how
to keep our feelings
to ourselves so
we'll write them
down for
you to find
'accidentally'.

6. We are vulnerable.

We wear our
hearts on our sleeves
and won't lift a
muscle to fight back
if somebody tries
to break it
because we thrive
from the pain.

7. We will never stop.

We will never stop
feeling and
we will never stop
hurting,
we will never stop
breaking and
bleeding and
loving
even though the cycle
is endless
and we know what's
coming next.


We are addicted
to agony,
but we agonise
for the art.
It's worth it though.
 Dec 2014 ruby stains
Devon Webb
I wish I was
sober enough
to kiss you
properly
Next page