I packed for love or so I thought,
With truths I wore and the lies you brought.
A threadbare trust in a dress of grace,
Your smile tucked into the velvet case.

Hidden deep beneath the seams,
Were ghosts that danced amongst my dreams.
Each one a whisper soft and low,
A secret you thought I'd never know.

A kiss that strayed, a veiled excuse,
A promise made and then cut loose.
You folded guilt in woven lies
And tucked it snug under alibis.

They stir each time I try to sleep,
A weight I carry, buried deep.
They follow close, like silent hosts
I'm bearing a suitcase full of ghost.

Now every step I feel the drag,
the silent weight, like a tattered flag.
No zipper shuts them in too tight,
I'm haunted still by morning light.