Jaime Israel

Grade: 12

Mayfield High School

Instructor: Kari Beery

my lips are chapped / my cheeks are red

Poetry

my lips are chapped / my cheeks are red

my lips are chapped
they always get chapped
this time of year
but thats okay
cause you have chapstick for me
so i cling onto you
as tight as i can
as if i am a dying baby bird
and you are my mother
i feel loved

my cheeks are red
they always get red
this time of year
but thats okay
cause you cling tightly to me
so i give you my chapstick
and hold you tight
as if i am a strong tree
and you are a small baby sloth
i feel loved

my lips arent as chapped
as before
but i still need you
i need your chapstick
so i let my grasp lighten
but i dont let go of you
like a little girl
who wants to keep playing
just a few minutes more
i still feel loved

my cheeks arent as red
as before
but i still need you
i need you to hang onto me
of course i notice
your grasp lightening
like a crashing wave
on a soft sand beach
receding back into the ocean
i still feel loved

my lips arent chapped anymore
so now
i can let go of you
i know you want me to let go
i can feel you lessening your grip
and when i let my grip loosen
you let me go
all i can do is stand there
why did you let me go?
i dont quite feel loved

my cheeks arent red anymore
so now
you can let go of me
i wish i could hold onto you forever
but my grip weakens every day
so when you begin to loosen yours
i let you go
all you do is stand there
why did i let you go?
i dont quite feel loved

my lips are chapped
and your cheeks are red
i can see you
sitting alone on that bench
why dont you come over here?
you can give me your chapstick
and i can hang onto you
but youd rather have red cheeks
than hang onto me
i dont feel loved

my cheeks are red
and your lips are chapped
i can see you
standing alone at that bus stop
im glad you dont come over
to ask me for my chapstick
and hang onto me
because id rather have red cheeks
than let you go again
i dont feel loved